from heaven. But God was also with them every
day. His very presence was in their midst. The
greatest sign of His faithfulness to Israel was His
presence with them (Emmanuel—God with us),
just as it is the greatest sign of His faithfulness to
us. The greatest illustration of that faithfulness is
His Son, Jesus.
Sometimes we get lost looking for miracles
and lose sight of His everyday faithfulness.
Thomas Chisholm did not lose family or friends
to tragedy, nor did he champion a great cause. He
was not a charismatic preacher with thousands
of people flocking to his church on Sunday.
Although Chisholm did serve in ministry, his
poor health left him no choice but to retire after
only one year. And yet, Chisholm recognized
that no matter what his circumstances, God
is still faithful, “morning by morning.” God
is not only seen in the spectacular: “For since
the creation of the world His invisible attributes,
His eternal power and divine nature, have been
clearly seen, being understood through what has
been made…” (Romans 1:20); but also in the
mundane: “Look at the birds of the air, that they
do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet
your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 5:16).
God is indeed great in His faithfulness.
GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
IN THE SCRIPTURES
The writer of Hebrews continues this idea
when he writes, “Now faith is the assurance of
things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”
(Hebrews 11:1).
With Thanksgiving around the corner, we
look at the early English settlers who hoped for
something they did not see and relied on the
faithfulness of God. During the previous winter,
many had died of cold and hunger. Still,
during the first Thanksgiving, we can imagine
the pilgrims giving thanks to God in tears as
they celebrated for the first time, continuing to
hope. The Bible describes many people of faith:
Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah. “All
these died in faith, without receiving the promises,
but having seen them and having welcomed them
from a distance, and having confessed that they
were strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). As much as this is a
statement about the faith of these people, it is also a statement in the trust
that they had in the faithfulness of God to fulfill what He promised.
The Apostle Paul had such a faith. In Philippians 4:12, he encourages
the Philippians in the midst of his own trials: “I know how to get along with
humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every
circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of
having abundance and suffering need.” Paul wrote these words from a jail cell,
and he still trusted in the faithfulness of God.
When we see signs and wonders and dramatic examples of the Lord’s
faithfulness, it is easy to believe, trust, and hope. Sometimes when we hit
rock bottom and lose everything (like Horatio Spafford did) we have no
other place to look but up. When the dust settles from dramatic miracles
or trials, when we get back into our routine, the things we hope for are
not easily seen but are obscured by the cares and worries of daily life, and
it becomes easy to forget that it is only by God’s faithfulness that we have
anything at all.
THE TRUSTWORTHY BLESSING OF GOD
There is a wonderful prayer from the Jewish prayer book that simply
acknowledges that we are where we are today, wherever that happens to be,
because of God’s faithfulness. In English it says, “Blessed are You, O Lord
our God, Who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and allowed us to reach
this time (season).” This blessing, typically recited at special times and holidays,
in recognition of God’s faithfulness, could truly be recited any time,
when we need a little reminder that God is with us.
“Great is Thy Faithfulness” has a similar theme and tone. While
Thomas Chisholm may not have turned heads in his day, the reflections and
meditations he wrote during his ordinary life outlived him and continue to
encourage us even to this day, turning our eyes toward God and reminding
us that God is always looking toward us. Having everyday faith in God is a
sign of maturity and character—which God develops in us as He answers
our prayers in His timing and the way He sees fit.
Jesus says in John 16:33, “In the world you have tribulation, but take
courage; I have overcome the world.” If we are to learn to trust Him based on
His prior trustworthiness, this statement is all that we need. He has overcome
the world, just as He promised. There is no reason to think that He
will not continue to be faithful in all things.
Chisholm put it this way:
“Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars
in their courses above; join with all nature in manifold witness, to Thy
great faithfulness, mercy, and love.”
May you experience the joy of the Lord this Thanksgiving and have
the strength to hope for that which remains unseen, rejoicing in the blessed
assurance of the Lord, the author and finisher of your faith.
1 “ The American Colony in Jerusalem: Family Tragedy,” Library of Congress, accessed October 3 2018,
https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/americancolony/amcolony-family.html
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/amcolony-family.html