The Fruit of Faithfulness
Lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships, especially marriage and friendship: The fact or quality of being true to one’s word or commitments, as to what one has pledged to do, professes to believe, etc.: The fact or quality of being dedicated and steadfast in performing one’s duty, working for a cause, etc.
Faithfulness can be viewed in a variety of ways. We can think of animals and how they are faithful to their families. Caregivers for those who are unwell. Hospice when it is called in to walk people across the threshold of eternity. Husbands and wives. Students who are faithful to their schools. Sports fans and how they are faithful to their team, league, or region. Employment over several decades. These are all examples of faithfulness.
How has our Father been faithful, to a creation that is made in the likeness of Him?
"If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself." - 2 Timothy 2:13
"From this you can know that Adonai your God is indeed God, the faithful God, who keeps his covenant and extends grace to those who love him and observe his mitzvot, to a thousand generations." - Deuteronomy 7:9
In one translation the word - faithful - appears 82 times the word - faithfully - appears 8 times - the word - faithfulness - appears 19 times.
Who are our examples, found in Hebrews 11, of Faithful (Trusting) individuals in the God of Abraham.
Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Yiftach, David, Samuel and the prophets.
God is Faithful when we are not. If you look at each of the lives above, even though they are Faithful, they had their individual character testings.
"Others underwent the trials of being mocked and whipped, then chained and imprisoned. They were stoned, sawed in two, murdered by the sword; they went about clothed in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, mistreated, wandering about in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes in the ground! The world was not worthy of them!" - Hebrews 11:36-38
Hebrews 11:36-38 are additional examples of the faithful, who remained nameless and encountered traumatic testing.
Today, we witness these same testings of individuals for their faithfulness.
This holiday season take a moment to reflect on the blessings and the testings of our faithfulness. Remember those who are going through severe tests of their faithfulness.
Happy Chanukah and Shabbat Shalom,
Todd