Our Faithful God

Our Faithful God “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9)

Let’s regularly share evidences of and wonders of God’s faithfulness. We may question if God hears our prayers. Some of our struggles we’ve prayed about for years. But God’s very character is faithfulness AND His faithfulness is intertwined with ALL of His other attributes.

Let me share a few (very few of many) of my evidences and wonders of His faithfulness:

• For years we asked God for children. Year after year of prayers! Then God chose to answer that prayer with a son. God is faithful.

• But that son didn’t come with an automatic love for the God whom we loved. Even way before he was born, and 13 years after he was born, we prayed that he would love God more than he loved anyone or anything else. 13 years and the beginning of an answer came. God is faithful.

• Over 55 years ago my husband and I began praying for Gospel impact on the city block where we lived. Two years ago we began to see growing evidence of His faithfulness, with other believers moving in and now a regular prayer group of those believers. I am looking forward to the beautiful people on our block finding Gospel truth.

• During the last year I’ve been asking God to let me finish well. Through the help of WCFS, my grandchildren, and my community, opportunities are arising for me to give testimony to the narrow way (the Gospel) and how taking that path affects all aspects of daily living. God is faithful.

Now look for your own evidences and continue to declare to those around you the marvel of God’s faithfulness.

Good Books are Valuable In 1982, Elizabeth Elliot’s book, Discipline: The Glad Surrender, was published. Yet as I’m reading it in 2023, its timeless truths are being brought to my attention.

She writes how discipline is a creation of God and a call from God. One chapter deals with God’s sovereignty and man’s choice. Seven chapters of the book give Biblical and practical teaching on discipline of the body, of the mind, of place, of time, of possessions, of work, and of feelings.

She sums up the book in the final chapter of “Exchange: My Life for His.” Reading this has helped me see where I need more aligning of my thoughts, words, and actions to God’s plan as revealed in His Word.

Basics In any endeavor it is best to review the basics. As you look at the education of your own children, think on these questions. If you struggle with

answers to these basic questions, consider making your need known, and keep searching for Biblical answers.

• If the main lesson in your school is learning to love God and others, how is everyday teaching of history, science, literature, and math connected with that main goal?

• As you teach reading skills, are you consistently drawn to review comprehension?

• Do you take the teaching of spelling beyond the weekly lesson to evaluate whether the student can write well enough to accurately send a message?

• With daily math problems do you look for applying the skill being learned? Can your 5th grader determine what the tithe of his money would be? To whom does the rest of his money belong?

• Have you found resources for showing Biblical foundations in history and science?

• Are there a few life-changing books on the required reading list? We are fortunate to have Lamplighter Publishing for help with this, among other sources.

Basics! Think on them! Act on them!

Service

Are you trying to incorporate service into your school without it looking so artificial? Are you aiming for a servant’s heart in yourself and those you teach? If the service is offered with a hurried “have to” feeling it will probably not register with the heart. Then there will be no joy in finding more opportunities to serve.

• Encourage your students to notice what other people enjoy. This makes giving easier.

• Encourage sending a brief message in whatever way you communicate with others - email, mail, phone, text.

• Encourage the saying of nice things to others.

All of this can be done regardless of the busy schedule.

Branching from this topic let me comment on student mission trips. Examine the schedule that your student will have. Be sure there aren’t just games! Examine the location; is the area already saturated with gospel opportunity?

Seek opportunities where the mission trip is requiring labor and even sacrifice.

Learning Opportunities Help each student realize that learning continues beyond school and that there are opportunities to learn all around us. Challenge each student to be alert to learning opportunities.

Here are a few of my personal lessons from:

A neighbor: You can eat dandelions.

My grandma G: Chicken was meant to be fried but first you have to have chickens!

My mom: Take every free minute and read a page or two.

My dad: You’ll not be sorry that you learned the joy of a job well done.

My husband: If you watch your pennies and nickels, you’ll have money to give to missions.

My aunt Virginia: Eat a good breakfast - think of it as fuel to energize your day.

Lady at church, in the 1940s: Look around for someone younger and see if you can help them know Jesus better.

From a teacher, Miss Ahalt: If you want to teach, I’ll help you avoid pitfalls. (I was in high school.)

So, begin to catalog and share helps you’ve received, and encourage your children to be grateful for those who have taught them along the way.

Love, Becky