Of all God’s attributes, there is one I cherish the most: His faithfulness. It is one of those things I took for granted until deception, betrayal and deceit were rampant in my relationships. My soul plummeted as vows of in richer or poorer changed to “how could you expect anyone to stay faithful to you, Stacy?” Everything I once held dear seemingly turned upside down-everything except The thing. God carried me through the unthinkable. My pain and heartache didn’t scare Him off. In fact, it drew us closer as I savored and fully relied on the promise of God’s faithfulness.

And he (the LORD) passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Exodus 34:6-7

Did you catch that? When asked to describe himself, God doesn’t just say he is faithful, but that he is abounding in faithfulness! That is a soothing balm to my spirit.

Is there something in your life that is causing you to no longer believe God to be as faithful as you once thought him to be? Are finances getting unbearably tight? Are you grieving a loss or fighting a debilitating illness? If you answered yes to any of these or are facing any other trying circumstance, first hear me say that I’m sorry. I’ve been there and I remember the agony and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Then, let the words of Deuteronomy 32:4 fall afresh on you.

He is the Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are law and justice. A God of faithfulness without breach or deviation, just and right is He." Amplified Bible

I challenge you to say this scripture out loud several times. Start by emphasizing the first word and meditate on what that means to you. For example, when I say, “He is the Rock,” it reminds me that God and God alone is the rock. Many imitations loom, but everything else is shifting sand. Move to the second word, is. Active present. Not He was or He will be the Rock, but He is! Repeat with every word until you come to the end of the verse.

I hope by the time you’ve gone through all of Deuteronomy 32:4, you will be able to

Know, recognize, and understand therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, Who keeps covenant and steadfast love and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." (Deuteronomy 7:9, Amplified)

I was lost. Stuck between the idealistic, unmarred faith of my childhood and the painful reality of life’s disappointments. I believed God had failed me. Abandoned me. All the prayers of my youth seemed to have been ignored or rejected before the throne of heaven. And, so, in the grip of deep heartache, I decided I couldn’t afford to be so deeply attached to a God who could so easily reject his child.

For a year I avoided church and her people. I sat steeped in depression, unable (or at least unwilling) to invest any more energy in hope. I couldn’t afford to risk losing more than I’d already lost. I remember someone quoting Romans 5:5…"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts…" The words tasted bitter, and I rejected them completely. Either this was God’s idea of a cruel joke, or I was His exception to the rule. Either way, hope WAS disappointing.

Life with God can sometimes be dark. But let me tell you…life without hope of Him is darker still. This pit sucked me into its icy grip and refused to let go. Until one night, when I couldn’t take the isolation anymore, I cried out in utter despair: "I give up! I can live without understanding "why" you let all this happen. But I can’t live one more day without the hope of believing in you!"

Though answers remained elusive, God came near. Actually, He let me know in no uncertain terms He’d been there all along.

"If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." 2 Timothy 2:11-13

You see, God IS faithfulness. I guess you could say He invented it. His nature is the very essence of faithfulness, and can’t be otherwise. Think of it this way: trying to make God unfaithful is like trying to keep water from being wet. It’s impossible.

During that time of doubt and darkness, God’s faithfulness remained because it stood independent of me. Though I didn’t realize it then, He offered exactly what my heart needed most: the security of knowing no amount of circumstances or injustices will change the constancy of His faithfulness to me. This was my lifeline, and it ended up being the very thing which saved me.

Regardless of where you find yourself today, cling to the rescue of God’s faithfulness. When all else fails–including yourself–HE WILL NOT.

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 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 3:19-23