He’s Always Been Faithful

By Sara Groves

Morning by morning I wake up to find the power and comfort of God’s hand in mine. Season by season I watch Him, amazed, in awe of the mystery of His perfect ways. All I have need of His hand will provide. He’s always been faithful to me.

“He’s Always Been Faithful” is a beautiful song that incorporates the classic hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” into its music. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is my favorite hymn to play at church around the Thanksgiving holiday. For me, when I think of giving thanks to God my first reaction is to thank him for his faithfulness because that is the thing for which I am most grateful. It amazes me how God is so faithful and still takes care of me even when I am faithless.

I have many things to be thankful for. God has abundantly blessed me over the years, and I am grateful for the way he has orchestrated my life so that I could be where I am today. He has given me all that I need and then some. What makes my heart so full and prompts me to recognize his faithfulness is that he has done all this despite the fact that I am not always faithful to him.

I am not perfect. I have made mistakes and have regrets, just like everyone else. I have let pride, envy, and sloth get in the way of having a beautiful relationship with God. But even when I mess up, even when I doubt and don’t recognize his goodness in my life, God still loves me and wants the best for me. He is a, “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

The passage we used for the Thanksgiving Eve service on Wednesday was Psalm 136. The first verse of this Psalm reads, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His love endures forever.” In fact, every other line in Psalm 136 states, “His love endures forever.”

Through the good times and the bad, God’s love endures forever. When we betray God by sinning and turning towards unrighteousness, he still loves us because his love endures forever. Nothing can separate us from his love (Romans 8:38-39) and for that we give him thanks.

God’s grace is his love, forgiveness, and provision even we don’t deserve it. Grace is the reason why God’s faithfulness is at the top of my “What I’m thankful for” list. Praise the Lord for this gift of grace he has given us through his Son, Jesus Christ!

Jesus took on the punishment for our sins. However, just because we have this grace does not mean we should keep on sinning (Romans 6:1-2). Yes, God is loving, but he is also just. God takes sin seriously and will discipline us for our sin. God’s faithfulness is shown through the permanence of our salvation and his devotion to our sanctification.

So praise the Lord for his grace. Praise him for his unconditional love. Thank him for the many blessings he has bestowed upon you and for his faithfulness. But do not take these things for granted. Do not take lightly the freedom that his grace has given you, nor the blessings that come from his faithfulness.

How has God demonstrated his faithfulness in your life? When did he provide you with a blessing you did not deserve? How was his faithfulness displayed in the midst of life’s hardships? As you reflect on these things, praise God for all that he has done and will continue to do in your life.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23

Click here to listen to “He’s Always Been Faithful.”