His Love and Faithfulness
Week Three
January 12, 2025
Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
– Psalm 117:1-2 (NIV)
God is glorified when his true character is on display in our lives. And two of the brilliant facets that adorn his character are his great love and enduring faithfulness. We as the church are called and set as windows into the goodness of God, stained glass artwork pouring vivid colors into the darkness. The brightness of his glory backlights the beauty he’s worked into our lives for all to see.
His invitation for us to come and worship is not an invitation to hoist high the banner of our meritorious living and steadfastness of character. The saintly joyful procession of worship is not a boasting of our faithfulness and lasting love. The lifting of our hands as we approach the throne of our worthy King is but a simple lifting of the cup of his salvation, for salvation belongs to the Lord and the Lord alone. We praise him for his goodness, not ours. We, the faithful saints in Christ, boast in the Lord.
His name is glorified when his love and faithfulness is evident in our lives.
The Lord has prepared for us good works, deeds intended to shine forth from us and bring attention and praise to God as people see the character of an ever-so-loving Father lived out through gratitude-filled lives. A changed life ever increasing with the love of God is the evidence we give to those living in the darkness that we live under the power of a risen Lord. In the daily grind, the diurnal practicalities of our existence, we are working out what he is working into us. All glory to God; he has been good to us. The light of his smiling face falls on us and we are cities on a hill.
What causes your heart to leap with praise? Is it your abundant and overflowing lovingkindness? Is it the consistency with which you treat others in a Christ-like manner? Those of us brave enough to be honest will admit that our love and faithfulness is frequently cold and often weak. But his far-reaching love and enduring faithfulness do not wain or fade or fail. If you will take the time to ponder it, I believe you will see it — God has been good to you. He has kept all his promises. He has said, “Never will I leave, never will I forsake you.” Never, no, not ever. In this truth may our heart leap.
The Lord wants to encourage us through the words of his faithful apostle Paul, “Rejoice in the Lord always …” Rejoice. Delight in the grace of God. Think of his faithfulness in your wanderings. Consider his love in your messiness. Remember his constant regard for every situation you have faced or are facing. His eyes have never moved away from you. As with Peter, his gaze is on you in your deepest failures, not to chide, not to reprimand, but to draw you in, away from your sin and failure like a Sheperd extending the hook of his staff to pull his beloved sheep out the painful brambles.
Here's a simple prayer, powerful when prayed with sincere intention: “Lord, let our lives reflect your love and faithfulness and point others away from us and towards you.” Let it be, Lord. Will you quietly voice this prayer now?
Monday
January 13, 2025
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
— Ephesians 4:1 (NLT)
Our worth is not defined by our walk. Our standing before God has been settled and our value proven once and for all by the love of Jesus that held him to the cross for us. So, when we walk, we walk not in a way to obtain his favor or gain his approval, but to display it. We walk in a manner that confirms his holy calling and faithfully represents Jesus, our Lord. Out of relationship with him, we walk as he walked. May it always be, Lord Jesus.
What is one way that you can walk in a worthy manner today? (c.f. Ephesians 4:2,3). What motivates you to live as Jesus lived?
What do you do when you find yourself falling short of that worthy walk? Is this road we walk always a smooth one?
Tuesday
January 14, 2025
Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
— 1 Corinthians 1:31 (NIV)
It is because of God that we find ourselves in Christ Jesus, not because of anything we have accomplished. We have no reason for boasting in ourselves! All that we have, we have received. Jesus is our all in all — he is wisdom to us; he is righteousness, holiness, and redemption for us. “Successes” in our Christian life may make us feel that we have something within ourselves to lean on. Pride is always present to tempt us all. But our boasting must be in no one else except the Lord.
In your conversations, do you tend to speak of how things relate to yourself or do your words point others to Jesus? Is there anything wrong with talking about ourselves?
Where do your thoughts tend to settle? What could help your thoughts to gravitate more towards the Lord rather than towards yourself or your circumstances?
Wednesday
January 15, 2025
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
– Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
God set us to shine. We are a city on a hill. At work, with our family, in our church, in our community, he wisely places us to be channels of his love. The Scriptures instruct us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but immediately following that instruction we are further told that it is God who is working in us. We are simply working out what God is working in. Let us bow in deep reverence; let us submit in holy awe. God has intended us to shine.
Has God called us to good works? What are some of the ways we participate in these God-appointed assignments?
What fields of opportunity has God placed you in? How can you demonstrate his love and faithfulness to others?
Thursday
January 16, 2025
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
– Psalm 108:3-4 (NIV)
God’s love and faithfulness should lift our hearts to praise him before others, telling them of his goodness towards us. We do well to focus and rest our thoughts on his great love and far-reaching faithfulness in our lives. Staring into the mirror of self for too long can cause our countenance to fall. Remember, he is the lifter of our heads and so we look to him. And when we look to him, we reflect him; and when we reflect him, others will see him in us.
Have you recently shared with anyone one of the good things God has done in your life, “small” or “great”? Does someone come to mind that you would like to share with?
How has God shown his goodness to you recently (in “small” or “great” ways)? Maybe even over the past year?
Friday
January 17, 2025
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give him thanks.
Praise his name.
– Psalm 100:4 (NET)
Here we consider the posture of our hearts as we approach God. Gratitude. Praise. Our heart’s expression as we remember his kindness and greatness should be framed in humility and sincerity as we approach our exalted King. Consider this: the Almighty, the first and the last, he who flung the stars across the skies and named them all, considers you! Though we are at best dust, he reaches down to us to help us, to redeem us.
Overall, would you say your heart is filled with thanksgiving or grumbling? What causes your heart to be filled with one or the other?
What does praise look like to you? How would you define it? How do you express it?