Will He Find You Faithful?
by Staff Writer Teri Underwood

"Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Aren't those the words we all desire to hear from Jesus Christ when our lives come to a close here on earth? We think of faithfulness in concrete terms most of the time. "I'm faithful to my church." "My tithing is faithful, I never miss." "I'm faithful to study of the Word or Sunday School or choir." We often measure our faithfulness by what we do. I think, though, that when we do this - we miss the blessing of true faithfulness.

Scott Krippayne's song, "Sometimes He Calms the Storm," has a line that says:

"Sometimes He calms the storm with a whispered peace be still; He can settle any sea but it doesn't mean He will. Sometimes He holds us close while the winds and waves go wild. Sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child."

That's the faithfulness of Christ! Can you just see the picture - Jesus with His arms wrapped around you, comforting, holding, and encouraging, while all around the winds blow and the storms rage.

The reality of being a Christian has finally sunk in for me. It's not all happy times and mountain tops. In fact, those experiences are not the case most of the time. But it's not all persecution and suffering either. The reality is, most of our time is routine. We have our lives to live and we must chose to be faithful - in word and deed - to the Father who loves us so. Day in and day out. And I think that's the hardest part. After all, when the "big" blessings come, it's not so difficult to remember to say "thanks" to the Lord. And when the trials come, it's real easy to call upon His strength.

But faithfulness is so much more than that! If our faithfulness depends on what God does - it's not real! Our faithfulness must be based on WHO God is not WHAT He does.

And our God is faithful. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised us is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23)

He is our strength and our confidence. The Psalmist wrote, "He only is my rock and my salvation; My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken." (62:2) When we hold fast to WHO His is, there is no uncertainty, no fear, no doubt. For GOD IS IN CONTROL!

So this issue of faithfulness isn't about attendance records, financial receipts, or study course completion - the foundation of faithfulness is recognition of who God is. And once we see God clearly, we begin to see ourselves as we really are. That's where the struggle begins. It's so much easier to measure ourselves by external standards. But faithfulness is measured in the heart. Faithfulness requires becoming more of Him and less of me. Loving who God loves, seeing with His eyes, touching others with His grace and continually seeking to know Him more.

And the question before us all is this - WILL HE FIND YOU FAITHFUL?

Oh Faithful Father
Change our hearts to be like Yours
Open our eyes to see as You see
Give us hands that reach out to those who need You
Burn in our beings a desire to be more like You
And Lord, teach us to be faithful
As You are faithful to us.

Amen

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