Is God Still Faithful?

At times, life is like a house of cards. You know there are wobbly places as you’re building, but each time you successfully place a card, you breathe a sigh of relief. You even see the rain cloud in the distance (1 Kings 18:41-44). You’ve been expecting and hoping again. And then poof, everything comes tumbling down- the business slows, the weather changes, health falters, living paycheck to paycheck becomes scraping by, and then there’s not enough for even the most basic needs. The house of cards flattens, the rain cloud you saw was just a puff of smoke, and then the sandstorm hits, and you find yourself buried under the weight of it all.

Is God still faithful? Some of you reading this will say yes, some will be unsure, and others might say like I did. Recently, I told my friend, “God isn’t faithful.”  I had believed, expected, worked, trusted, and obeyed. But at the end of this particular time, God didn’t provide, and I found myself left with a pile of bills, late notices, and late fees. In the subsequent weeks, the snowball effects would challenge me even more. 

My friend’s response gave me pause. She said, “God is always faithful. It’s your expectations of Him and others that are wrong. You expect Him to give you what you want when you want it, to your specifications.” That one hurt because it’s true. I give God my list: You know I need x, y, z by this day. I’m being obedient. Thank You. 

I’m glad she said this to me because it has caused me to examine my relationship with God and others. Some of my reasons for being the way I am stem from past experiences, but that’s another topic. But I’ve heard it taught in the church. So, I figured that when God didn’t come through for me on the bills, He must have messed up. After running checks and balances over everything I did, I see no reason it wouldn’t have worked out. 

Since then, I’ve been thinking about Daniel and the lion’s den (Daniel 6:1-23), Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:1-30), the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7), and how Apostle Paul was shipwrecked, beaten, and more (2 Corinthians 11:16-27). Oh, and don’t forget Job and Jesus. 

I’m still expecting rain while I work myself out of the sand. I don’t care how the rain comes: by cloud, cup, watering can, hose, or buckets. I can’t put a time limit on God. When He brings the rain, I will gratefully lift my face into it and enjoy the beauty of every drop. 

If you can relate to what I’m going through, I encourage you to ask yourself what expectations you have placed on God. Are you expecting what He has for you, or will you say He isn’t faithful if what you need doesn’t show up in your timeframe? 

It will take me some time to accept things won’t always look like I think they should. Truthfully, I’m not a fan of the lion’s den or the furnace. However, I do know God is with me through it all. It may not feel good, yet God is indeed faithful. And that has to be enough. 

As you walk forward, continue expecting. Don’t throw in the towel on your relationship with God. You can choose to sit still and be miserable. Or you can dig yourself out, dust yourself off, and purpose to live each day despite what you see and feel.  I’m choosing to live because this is not how the story ends for you or me.