Yellowstone National Park is home to thousands of geysers and other hydrothermal features such as mud pots, hot springs, travertine terraces and fumaroles. Each is a physical, outward display of volcanic activity taking place below the earth’s surface. Of all of these features, the most famous by far is Old Faithful. With eruptions lasting 90 seconds to 5 minutes approximately 20 times per day, Old Faithful has earned its name due to the predictable nature of the timing of eruptions. But there is talk of Old Faithful growing less faithful with each passing year.
Not so for the God and Creator of the universe in which Old Faithful is just a minuscule sampling of His creative and majestic power. The God who spoke all things into existence declares Himself to be 100% faithful. And because He never changes, we can always count on God to be who He says He is, at all times and in all circumstances.
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
Psalm 119:89-90
You established the earth, and it abides.
Faithful Is…
By definition, someone who is faithful is:
- steady in allegiance or affections (Loyal)
- reliable and consistent (Dependable)
- adheres to truth (Trustworthy)
- fulfills their duties (Acts With Integrity)
There is such comfort for the Christian in knowing our God is faithful as shown throughout all of scripture and all of history.
When God says He will never leave nor forsake me, I can rest in that promise because I know He is trustworthy. When God tells me I am loved and I can come to Him as Father, I do so as His child knowing His affection for me is reliable and consistent; not because of who I am but because of who He is.
Because Jesus is my Lord and Savior, God’s affections are set on me and my salvation is secure. Even when I am faithless in difficult circumstances and trials, He remains faithful. He can not deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13).
What good news! What peace I have no matter the circumstances and no matter how great my failures.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
Faithful Does…
God’s faithfulness is indeed great. Not only to the Christian, but to mankind as a whole. He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust, says Jesus in Matthew 5:45. As an ambassador of Christ and an image bearer of God, it is my privilege and duty to also be faithful; to make the invisible God seen in the world around me.
At the end of my life, my greatest desire is to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” That said, I am a steward of my Master while I still live. There should be a physical, outward display of faithfulness giving evidence to the inward working of the Spirit of the Lord in my life.
Some questions I’ve asked myself and I pose to you, faithful reader, or new reader, as the case may be…
- Am I steady in my affections for Christ and my allegiance to His cause (Loyal)
- Am I reliable and consistent in my actions, attitude, and words to those around me (Dependable)
- Am I adhering to the truth as found in scripture (Trustworthy) and…
- Does my life reflect that commitment (Acts with Integrity)
None of us can answer in the affirmative all of the time. Each is an area in which to grow and excel still more. My hope for myself is that I will continue to grow in reflecting my faithful God by growing in faithfulness. I want to be one who is predictable like Old Faithful. But unlike Old Faithful, whose faithfulness is decreasing, by God’s grace, I will continue to grow in faithfulness; to the Lord, to His cause, to my brothers and sisters in Christ, and to the lost and dying world around me.
***All photos taken at Yellowstone and are untouched in regard to color. This is simply what these hot springs and geysers look like in all of their God given glory. To see the image more closely, click on it!