Dear Faith Family, 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion”, says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him,” (Lamentations 3:22-24). 

I’m standing in an auditorium full of pastors and wives at The Cove in Ashville, NC.  A strange lump has found its way into my throat as I attempt to mouth the words, “great is Thy faithfulness.”  And, although I know the words to be true, I confess that questions form a line in opposition to the truth that my lips profess. 

Really God?  Are You really faithful?  Like, how are You faithful?  When my child doesn’t follow you?  When people walk away from Jesus?  When people speak evil of the bride of Christ?  When someone I love is snatched away?  Are You faithful? 

So where does this faithfulness of God intersect with the difficult realities of life?  My mind drifts off to the place where the faithfulness of God meets the difficult realities of life.  I’m so grateful for the Word of God!  Travel back with me into Genesis.  Consider, with me, Joseph’s brothers.  You remember those guys, right?  Offered him the opportunity to “look up” on life.  “Encouraged” his gainful employment in Potipher’s business.  Well, you know the story. 

They were God’s people, no thanks to them.  The question lingers like a bad dream: would God be faithful even to them?  At first glance, we might be inclined to answer: no.  They certainly didn’t deserve it.  The circumstances would deny it.  For instance, their past decisions haunted them (what they did to Joseph and lying to their father).  And for instance, now there is a famine in the land.  God faithful?  Apparently not. 

Keep on reading.  You will see the collision of God’s faithfulness and difficult circumstances!  But God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today, (Genesis 50:20).  There it is!  Boom!  God is faithful.  He was faithful not only to Joseph.  He was faithful to Joseph’s brothers too.  Cowering and conniving in fear.  Suffering through a famine.  God wasn’t simply proving Himself faithful outside of their circumstances.  He was proving Himself faithful through their circumstances!  Wow!  How big is your God?! 

Thankfully God is not faithful to my plans but to His purposes, 
Pastor Karl