June 22 – Faithfulness (Psalm 89:1-8)

“O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you.”(Psalm 89:8)

IN WORD:
If you were to do a biblical word study on “faithfulness,” you would find something mildly surprising: The vast majority of biblical references to faithfulness are about God, not about us. God’s faithfulness is an established fact in Scripture; man’s is not. We are encouraged to be faithful, but we are always found wanting. God, however, is constant. His faithfulness reaches to the skies (see Psalm 36:5; 57:10; 108:4), and His love and faithfulness are semantically paired so often that they are clearly intertwined. His love is unchanging; there is nothing fickle about it — not even from generation to generation (Psalm 100:5). True faithfulness endures forever (Psalm 117:2). It can do no other.
This is why faithfulness MUST be a fruit of the Spirit. It cannot be of the flesh. Humanity measures faithfulness in terms of months and years; God measures it in terms of eternity. We cannot maintain such commitment unless the power to do so is given from above. It simply is not within us to be covenant keepers for long. Nearly every biblical covenant originates in heaven and is maintained unilaterally by the covenant-keeping God. His faithfulness alone is everlasting.

IN DEED:
If you needed any sense of security about your salvation, there it is. God keeps you because He is faithful. He knows the fickleness of those He pursues, and He pursues us nonetheless. He knew how unstable we were before He committed to keep us.
But we cannot remain unstable, not if we’re filled with His Spirit. The flesh is weak, but we no longer live according to the flesh. Never use the excuse, “I’m only human.” You’re a human with the Spirit of the living God dwelling within. Faithfulness is possible for us when we are wholly dependent on Him. His faithfulness surrounds His throne. Enthrone Him in your heart, and it will surround you, too.

“The faithful person lives constantly with God.”
-Clement of Alexandria-