The Fruit of The Spirit ~ Faithfulness

FAITHFULNESS
“Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.” Psalm 37:3

Whoever heard of feeding on faithfulness? In the natural, what we eat affects every part of us – our skin, our vital organs, our mind, even our attitudes! In my spirit this is true as well. A friend’s or loved one’s faithfulness feeds my soul, replenishes me, fills me up. I want this to be true for my friends, loved ones, the world at-large as well, and it will be so to the degree that I am feasting on God’s faithfulness. If I am depleted of His faithfulness, I have nothing to offer others for feasting on His faithfulness affects me every bit as much as physical food affects my carnal self. “Let your mind dwell on these things” and “out of your innermost being will flow rivers of Living Water.” My attitude about serving others changes dramatically when my serving is from the overflow of God’s own faithfulness towards me . . . my attitude changes, my heart changes, even the air I breathe seems to change!

“Like a tree planted by the water” comes to mind. In the natural trees are crucial to our environment for they transform the very air we breathe by consuming deadly carbon dioxide and transforming it into oxygen. Plants and trees consume light and water for their own energy and survival, and then as a natural by-product oxygen is emitted into the atmosphere. This natural cycle for trees has gone on from time immemorial, and it will continue on until there is a new heaven and a new earth where all God’s created order is transformed to His original design. Likewise, as God’s servant, I take in His light and living waters, and what pours forth is the pure oxygen of His love.

“I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart. I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation.” Psalm 40:10. Once transformed by God’s redeeming love, I cannot keep His faithfulness hidden. It must flow out of me as naturally as the oxygen flows out of a tree. If it were possible for a tree to NOT emit oxygen but just keep it stored within itself I am convinced it would be toxic to the tree. Likewise, feasting on the faithfulness of God and hording it would do the same to my spirit, for I am designed to be a refreshing, free-flowing wellspring of His faithfulness to others. He feeds my very soul with His faithfulness, and I have no choice but to send out this life-sustaining grace.

The Psalms are full of exaltations of God’s faithfulness. Psalm 89:1 says that all generations will know His faithfulness. In fact Psalm 89 mentions God’s faithfulness six different times. It declares that His faithfulness is established in the very heavens. We know this practically as we see the sun rise every morning and set every evening. Verse five says all of the heavens praise God’s faithfulness and verse 8 states that His faithfulness surrounds Him Verse 33 is God’s own declaration that He will not allow His faithfulness to fail.

The scriptures are also repleat with stories of His faithfulness – the Cross the most poignant of all. Even when we sin and suffer the consequences of our own sins, He remains faithful as He waits our return to His arms of love. Faithful to His own integrity, we are free to choose to dwell in His faithfulness, but should we choose otherwise He remains ready to welcome us home. He also, as is true of any faithful father, will discipline those whom He loves. The Psalmist, probably King David, says in Psalm 119:75, “I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me” and Hebrews 12 reminds us God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His own holiness, and that His discipline actually validates us as legitimate children.

Isaiah 11:5 says “faithfulness is the belt around His waist.” A belt is symbolic of that which holds everything together. Often translated ‘loins’ instead of waist implies that faithfulness drives every other grace God provides us, and if I am to be effective as His servant, it must be at the core of all I do for others. All the other fruit of the Spirit – patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control would simply be a ruse otherwise, feeding my own carnal nature only which would ultimately suck the oxygen of His grace right out of me.

Revelation 19:11 declares the Name of Christ to be ‘faithful and true.’ Revelation 3:14 says He is known to His church (His followers) as “the AMEN, the FAITHFUL and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” And Revelation 17:14 says those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. Out of Christ’s faithfulness, one day He will make all things new. Life on this planet earth will one day end; a new Heaven and a new Earth will come forth, but until that time I get to be God’s faithful servant, offering a feast of Christ’s own faithfulness to my world. I am human and I will fall short of such perfection, yet I am assured that even if I am faithless at times, “He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:12-14. In other words, His very nature is faithfulness, and out of His Spirit, filling my innermost being, He will show forth His faithfulness until He comes to call us home.

The fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness.