Day 13: God is so Faithful

Read: Romans 3:1-8

The preacher stood on the camp chapel stage. His voice was raised, not with anger, but with passion and urgency. With slivers of tears in the corner of his eyes, he spoke, advocating for young high school students to fully devote their lives to God. That warm July night, I sat in the front as a camper taking in every word. After the message, I vowed to fully devote my life to serving God.

Five years later, I was at the same camp, sitting in the same chapel, listening to the same man. To my surprise, he was giving the same message. I remembered that message well. I remembered the vow I made five years ago. After I made that vow I was on fire for God. Yet shortly after I fell away from God.

I thought my way of living was better. God then took ahold of my life and shook it. He gave me true loving Christian friends that showed me life following Christ was better. He brought me back to him. Then five years later God had brought me back to that camp, as a staff member, I was going to a Bible school, and I finally had a life full of joy.

Even though I had been unfaithful to God, he had been faithful to me. As I sat there I praised God for his faithfulness. Five years before when I had made that vow it was all about what I could do on my own, and five years later I was in awe of what He had done.

Although we sin, God doesn’t. We fail, but God never does. We break promises, but God fulfills them. In Romans 3:3-4, Paul writes  “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,’That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.’” God is good, especially when we aren’t.

In the book of Jonah, God called Jonah to go and preach to the city of Nineveh. Jonah refused and ran away, fleeing on a ship. While he was on the ship a horrendous storm arose. The crew members became afraid. Jonah told them that his God was the God of the Heavens and the Seas and that to stop the storm he had to be thrown off.

The crew members threw him off and the storm ceased. A giant fish came and suddenly swallowed Jonah. He stayed inside the fish for three days. On the third day, God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah out, and it did. Then God called Jonah again to preach God’s message and so he did. God was faithful when Jonah was not. Even when Jonah was sinful, God protected him and brought him back to fulfill his purpose.

We are sinners, but God is sinless. Our sin should reveal to us the astonishing wonder of God. Paul writes in Romans 3:5 “ But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say?” Our failures and unfaithfulness should exemplify how great our God is. He is righteous. He does not fail. He is faithful. He, who is perfect, loves us so utterly deep that He died for us, even though we are wretched. That is amazing. Our God is amazing.

Has God been faithful to you? Think about the specific ways you have seen His faithfulness. Then, take a moment and think of every sin you have committed, as many as you can. God loves you despite all of that. He has completely forgiven you. Not only is He sinless, but He also loves and forgives the sinful, no matter the sin.