Good morning, everyone.
Our verse for today comes from Acts 11:23, “When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.”
When you vowed to take your beloved to be your very own, or when you will do it at some point in the future, you made a public declaration of your intent to be faithful to him or her. Regardless of whether those exact words were ever uttered during the wedding ceremony, or any time before or after, when you two became one, a covenant was made that you would remain faithful to each other until death do you part. And praise God that those commitments are lived out as often as they are. For each of us knows of the damage done when a friend or loved one has crossed that line and broken their vow to their spouse. But what exactly does it mean to be faithful? We know that we are to keep our bodies only for the other. But then what? In what other ways and in what other areas are we supposed to remain faithful? The easy answer is that in every way we should be faithful, but that probably doesn’t help much. Just like it probably doesn’t impact us like it should to read that we should remain faithful to the Lord. What exactly does that mean? Well, various bible translations attempt to provide a more robust image by using words like cleaving to, staying true and devoted, staying solidly committed, continue in, and abide in. Do these help? Maybe, maybe not.
So my question to you is, what did you commit to when you became a Christian? Did you make a vow to be faithful to the Lord Jesus? And, did you commit to the covenant relationship that Jesus offers in scripture, or was it some watered-down version? Our version of faithful depends entirely on how much of our heart was transferred in the commitment. God gave us His Son, so we know He’s all in to the very end, when He will gather His children to Himself for eternity. But what are the grounds for your faithfulness? If it’s not all-inclusive, in every way, and without exclusion, then you and God may be operating from different points of view. If you commit it all to Him, though, then you don’t have to figure out when and if you should cleave, stay true, or continue in. And just as when you’re completely faithful to your spouse in every way, that same faithfulness to Christ produces the most contentment and joy.
As we seek Him today, make faithfulness a pillar of your relationships, both earthly and divine.
Have a committed Tuesday.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
