Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant with loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
We talk about faith these days, from the perspective of our faith in God. We think about how we have had to trust Him in difficult times, and how He has provided for us. The Bible encourages humanity to be faithful to God, and it also describes God’s faithfulness to us.
In the passage above, Moses is addressing the Hebrew people who have come out of the land of Egypt. They have made a long journey, and encountered many difficulties, but all the while God has been faithful to keep a promise to them. He told them that He would deliver them to a “promised land” where they could live and grow and worship Him. The passage assures the people that God will be faithful, and will be lovingly devoted to them and to their descendants.
The same kind of promise is echoed by Jesus in the New Testament, as He speaks to His disciples in Matthew 28:20, where He says, “…And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus is actually quoting Deuteronomy to make this point to His disciples. He gives His disciples the task of preaching the good news, baptizing people, and making disciples, but He does so with a promise that He will be present with them to help them and guide them.
In a similar way, God has given each of us a role to play and a job to do in His kingdom. Some minister to children, others to the elderly. Some are teachers, musicians on the church stage, and others are called to the task of cleaning the church. Imagine that! What has formerly been considered a menial task- cleaning a building- has now become one of the most important facets of a church’s preparedness in dealing with the effects of the current health crisis. Thank God that He has called people to serve in such helpful ways as cleaning!
In all of these things, God has promised to be with us in whatever task we have in life, to love us, lead us, and reveal Himself to us. Even when we feel tired or discouraged, God has not abandoned us. He is there, ready to show His love, and He wants us to reach out to Him in love in return.