Great is Thy Faithfulness
Recently, a counselor friend sat with my husband and me to conduct a marriage and ministry interview for a project he is working on. I certainly didn't get a sneak peek of the questions before we were asked and recorded, but I did expect there to be questions on struggles in ministry. What I didn't expect was in the midst of those answers of both struggles and joy, there was a melody woven throughout the words of our responses that sang of God's faithfulness to us throughout our 10+ years in ministry.
When you are in the midst of everyday life, it's hard to intentionally focus on God's faithfulness. That is true for all of us. Sure, we know He is faithful, and we can proclaim that all day long on those good days. But it's when we are at the bottom, those days we can't quite see up, that we struggle to rejoice in the faithfulness of God. We know that it's true but we just can't bring ourselves to fully surrender ourselves, trusting in His faithfulness. And without intentionality, we go through the ebbs and flows of life and catch ourselves lost in the notes rather than trusting, resting, and marveling at the overarching melody of the faithfulness of God.
So as my husband and I sat in the room, I dreaded talking about those tough seasons. Although we have been four years removed from a really difficult time in ministry, sometimes the sting of that pain is so very real. Yet, in those four years, the Lord has not stopped working. He has used that tough season to bring us closer to one another. He has used it to refine us. He has used it to teach us about ourselves and grow us in ways that we maybe otherwise would not have without those trials. But you see, that is the faithfulness of God. It's not to make us feel good, nor to make us happy. But it is to sanctify us, make us holy, and change us in such a way that He continues to use us for His glory. And in that, we find such peace and much joy.
As I've processed the conversation, I've come back to the hymn, "Great is Thy Faithfulness."
Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been
Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
And all I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me
The Lord is indeed faithful. He does not change. There is no variation of Him, no change in His good character, no change in His knowledge, no change in His sovereignty. He never looks away, but consistently places his steadfast love and faithfulness on those who are His own. He is not surprised by our good days or our bad days. Rather, He is working them together for our good and His glory. And we can trust Him because we know that as He has been, He will forever be. He always has, is, and will forever be faithful. So even on those days when we feel like we may not make it through and our song seems to have lost the joy in its notes, lift up your head, sweet sister. The Lord is near to you and ever faithful. And as you do, may the Lord change your song to proclaim that yes, Lord, great is Your faithfulness.
