When the new widgets came out on the iPhone last month I went to town trying to make a super aesthetic Home Screen. I wanted to have a quote or bible verse in the middle, but I wanted it to be something meaningful and an important reminder that I could see every day.  I didn’t want it to just say something just to say something. “He’s been faithful, I am grateful” is what came to me and it has been the perfect reminder for me to remember who God is and what my response is to Him.

This past summer I read the book In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls us to Reflect His Character, by Jen Wilkin, and one of the characteristics of God she says we are called to reflect is His faithfulness. I love this because I think it’s important to remember when talking about the faithfulness of God that we are called to be faithful as well. God is faithful because He is with us always, and He does all He says He will do. We are called to be faithful to God and others as a reflection of His faithfulness.

Jen also talks about how we are prone to forgetfulness. We forget how faithful God has been in the past but the Bible is full of stories of His faithfulness and Him reminding His people of all He has done. We also can look back to how He has been faithful in our own lives.

Three years ago my family and I went on a cruise, and I was so excited for it. It was pretty last minute and spontaneous, for us at least, we planned it less than 2 months before we’d be going, and we knew with my brother and I getting older it may be one of the last big family vacations with the 4 of us. The second night on the cruise my dad began to not feel well, and the next morning he went to the ship doctor. Within an hour they went from saying he was going to be ok to transferring him to the ICU in a small hospital in St. Kitt’s. I remember standing in the bathroom of our room packing up all the things that I had just unpacked less than 36 hours earlier in unbelief that all of this was even happening and feeling anxious going from what was supposed to be a fun-filled planned week of vacation to the unplanned of going to an unknown island with my dad in a hospital that looked nothing like what we’re used to here, and not knowing if he would be ok. 

But God. He was orchestrating a moment to show off and show how good He is and remind me that He is faithful. As I stood in that bathroom He gave me peace that whatever happened, we would be ok. But on the inside, I was still freaking out.

Because it was the beginning of hurricane season, there weren’t many people at our hotel, so most of the employees learned who we were and why we were there. Every time we walked through the hotel lobby one of the people at the front desk would ask how my dad was doing and say to us: “trust God, He will take care of him.” No matter who we shared the reason for being on St. Kitt’s with, they would say the same thing: “God’s in control and He will heal him.” 

It was amazing to see their complete faith and trust in God. They didn’t know us; they didn’t even know we were Christians. It was so challenging to my own faith. I knew that God was in control but the authority that they spoke with showed a greater faith. 

Four days later my dad was doing better and ready to be discharged. He walked out of the hospital and thanked the doctor who cared for him and said “thank you, you are a miracle worker,” to which the doctor pointed up and replied, “No, that’s Him.” In the unknown, in the uncertainty, in my own questioning of God, of where He was and why my dad was sick, He completely surrounded me and my family.

What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithfulness nullify that faithfulness of God? By no means!”

Romans 3:3

I love this verse and it reminds me that even when I am struggling to believe Him, He still is who He is. It also reminds me of the story in Mark when Jesus encounters the boy with the unclean spirit and his father comes to Jesus begging him if he can do anything to help his son and Jesus responds: if I can?, which is when the father says my favorite line “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). And Jesus, he’s so faithful, he immediately casts the spirit out of the boy. See, God is faithful to meet us where we’re at. He doesn’t require a specific level of faith.

I am so challenged by the response of both the people in St. Kitt’s and the father in Mark 9. See, I believe it is out of gratitude of what God has done that we are able to remain faithful that God will again be with us, provide, and deliver us through whatever season we are in today.

And I challenge you to that, remember His faithfulness, fill and remind your spirit with what God has done in your life. Turn to the Bible for even more evidence of His faithfulness. He is faithful, and I believe that as you do this, your faith in Him will grow.

Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it abides.

Psalm 119:90

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23