Rehearsing God’s faithfulness.

“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:8-13

I’ve had the incredible honor of teaching “Found On My Knees” to an amazing group of women from Southwest Community Church in Indian Wells, California for the past several weeks. One of the things I love most about this group of ladies is their hunger for God’s Word and their eagerness to know Jesus more. I see it in their eyes each Monday night. I hear it in their voices as they share their stories with me. I witness it as I watch them interact with each other. God is in their midst, and He is blessing their pursuit of Him.

As these precious women have shared their lives with me, I have found myself looking back on my own journey with the Lord and marveling at His faithfulness in my life. This past week, the women of Southwest read my mother’s story in their homework, and as they were being encouraged by my mom’s story of faith in the Lord, I couldn’t help but rehearse God’s faithfulness to me. Thinking back to the times that were hard and painful, the times when my family had no earthly clue as to how we were going to get through or how the bills would be paid, one consistent memory remains:

We never went without what we needed.

Sure, there were probably countless “wants” that went unmet, but our needs were always met. God is faithful. He always provides for His children. He is good. Our circumstances never alter His character.

You and I both are no doubt facing some difficult needs right now. Trust and faith are difficult to live out in the face of desperate need, aren’t they? That is exactly why rehearsing God’s faithfulness is so vitally important. When we take the time to look back and remember how faithful God was to provide for us, to love us, to forgive us, and to show compassion on us in our past, we become increasingly able to trust Him in our present and with our future. Rehearsing God’s faithfulness breeds faith in us. Does the road ahead appear uncertain? Are you struggling to take that next step of faith towards where God is calling you to go? Does that one obedience seem too difficult? Rehearse God’s faithfulness right now. Look back and remember how He was present and active in your life in the past. Your faith can only increase as you focus on His never-ending, unfailing faithfulness towards you.