Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Psalm 37:3 (ESV)
I’ve been reading the ESV Bible this year. I’ve never read this translation, and sometimes passages will jump out at me. The term “befriend faithfulness” provided one of those moments. This chapter addresses how we should respond when evil raises its ugly head and takes aim at us. It promises that victory will go to those who follow God.
What does it mean to befriend faithfulness?
When we befriend someone, we invite them to partake in our lives. There are multiple levels of friendships. There are Facebook friends you’ve never met, there are work friends you only see at the office, there are distant friends you rarely see, and there are friends you share your life with.
Close friends see you at your best and your worst. Friends who fight your battles with you. Friends who celebrate your victories. This is the level of friendship we want to build with faithfulness. Which leads to the question of how.
How do we befriend faithfulness?
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4 (ESV)
Faithfulness to God includes taking delight in Him. And when our hearts delight in God, He gives us the desires of our hearts. Because our desire is Him. Because our desire is to be with Him. Because we have befriended faithfulness TO Him, He will show us grace, mercy, and give us the abundant blessing of His presence, protection, and peace.
Battles will still come. But our Friend will lead the charge.
When we befriend someone, we also seek their company. We learn who they are and what they like and don’t like. As that friendship grows, we develop a feel for their personality and character. This is a two-way road. We befriend them, they befriend us. We befriend the habit of faithfulness to God and that faithfulness will show us who we are in Christ.
What does that look like in our daily lives?
Befriend is a verb. It indicates action is taking place. We don’t watch faithfulness like a spectator on the sidelines, we enter into relationship with it. We walk in faithfulness, talk in faithfulness, and live with faithfulness. It becomes our constant friend and ally.
When we come to a crossroads and don’t know which way to take, we include faithfulness in the conversation. Will one road lead us away from God? Avoid that one.
When we hear a whisper from God and want with all our heart to ignore it, we look to faithfulness. When storms hit and we don’t understand why hardships are pounding us like a hammer, we hold on to faithfulness knowing that our God is faithful to us.
What if we are unfaithful friends?
Our faithfulness towards God is likely to falter. We are human, we mess up. The solution is to build our relationship on God’s faithfulness, not our own. God’s faithfulness is unfailing, unwavering, and unimaginably strong. God’s grace will cover our mistakes, and in faithfulness, He will bring us back to Him.
He proved that on the cross. He proves that with every sunrise, every breath that enters our lungs, and every tear He catches. We offer God our imperfect faithfulness. In return, He shows us perfect faithfulness through His abounding grace.
Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to us, Your children. Help us befriend faithfulness and walk with You each day. Show us more of You and reveal Your heart to us so that we may share Your love and hope with those around us. Thank You for who You are, for your mercy, grace, and love. Thank You for each day we have to honor and praise You with our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Spread the spark of hope everywhere you go,
Michelle
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I want to follow Jesus! How do I get started?
“This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.
1 John 4:13-15
If you are ready to join the family of God, simply believe and ask. You can choose your own words or pray the prayer below. God hears your heart, simply confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and let the Spirit lead you.
“Father, I want to be yours. Forgive me of my sins. I believe that you sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die in my place. I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and thank you for the gift of salvation through Him. I invite the Holy Spirit into my heart and surrender my life to You. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Feel free to spend time just talking to God and sharing your heart with Him. Let Him speak to you and listen as He leads you forward into new life. Welcome to the family.
Need to talk or have questions? Feel free to reach out and contact me.