"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." -Deuteronomy 7: 9

Faithful

I am truly a blessed man. No matter what is happening in my life, whether it be the mountaintop or the valley, at the end of the day, when I go home, I go home to a family that loves me. They are always faithful to me. I am also blessed to have one true friend that I can always count on. I love this friend so much that 15 years ago I asked her to be my wife...and she said, 'YES!' My wife, my friend, is always faithful to me. I have been blessed to be born into a family where my mother and father have remained faithful to each other and to their family. A legacy of faithfulness to their family can be traced back to my grandfather, great grandfather, and on through the generations. For that I am grateful. But where does the source of this faithfulness come from? It comes from a family tradition, passed on from father to son over the generations, of putting our faith in the Lord. "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and toward all he has made." (Psalm 145: 13) I am so thankful that this legacy of faith has been passed on to me. I live my life, the best that I can, to pass it on to my children. This 'faith' that has been passed on through the years in my family has not been passed on by 'perfect' people. It has been passed on by imperfect people who put their faith in a perfect God. "The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down." (Psalm 145: 14)

I place all my hope, my trust, my faith in the Lord. My prayer is that my life will be a testimony of that faith to all around me. That someday I will hear my Savior say to me, "...Well done, good and faithful servant!..." (Matthew 25: 21) What is your life goal? Where do you place your hope, trust, and faith? None of us is perfect. We all make mistakes and fall short of God's glory. But take encouragement from God's Word. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 8-9) Keep your faith in Him and He will never let you down! There is so much in this world that is not faithful. Look at the divorce rates in our country. Families break apart. Friends drift away. But if your faith is in the Lord you will never be alone! Do you place your faith in this world? In government? How about the stock market? None of those things will last. I am blessed man. A legacy of faith has been passed down to me. A faith that is in the one true God. A faith in His Son, my savior, Jesus. A faith that someday will allow me to see this wonderful sight, "I saw heaven standing open and there before was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True." (Revelation 19: 11) WOW! What a sight that will be. Always remember, the Lord is faithful! Amen.

A question for each you. A truth that was pointed out to me by a friend this week. How are you being faithful to the Lord? It is amazing how we can always find times for our jobs, or to go to a ball game, or to catch a movie, read a book, etc...but we can't find the time to spend with God. We can't find the time to make a commitment to be faithful to our Lord who is so faithful to us. To make a commitment to attend church regularly. To make a commitment to worship Him and praise Him. To make a commitment to serve Him in any way that we can. What has your commitment been like recently? I took a look in the mirror and realized how mine has been slipping away. I need to rededicate myself to committing time to the Lord. I always tell people how the Lord is the number one priority in my life...it is time for my actions to show that. How about you?

Take a moment and encourage someone this week.

I pray that all is well with you. Please let me know if you have any prayer concerns or praises. Have a great week and remember to smile :), the Lord loves you!

In Christ,

Shan D. Hartsough

"Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-the Lord who remains faithful forever."
-Psalm 146: 5-6

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