The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Devotion

I’ve experienced many blessings while serving as a pastor at Crossings in our Kids Ministry. The obvious blessings are the children and families and the privilege to be used by God in teaching children about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. An unexpected blessing, a beautiful gift from God, is the opportunity to serve and lead young adults in our Intern Program.

Not only am I humbled to experience how God has blessed these young men and women with gifts and talents, but I’m in awe of the beautiful way they are using those gifts to share the love of God to the world in which they live. They are walking in truth, serving others, living a life of significance, a life of sacrifice, and dying to self in order to glorify God. They have faith that what God has for them is better than the lies the world is telling them.  

My life as a teenager and young adult was quite different from what I just described. My life wasn’t changed by God until I was in my mid 20’s and at a point of desperation and hopelessness. I did not use the gifts and talents that God gave me to glorify him; I lived outside of God’s will for my life. I was selfish and did not want to miss out on what the world offered. I believed in God, and I even went to church, but I was a Sunday-only kind of Christian. Monday through Saturday, I belonged to the world. I loved me more than I loved God. I lacked faith that what he had for me was better.

God is unfailingly faithful; it’s the only way he can be. His Word tells us, “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Thank you God, for your faithfulness! What I lacked in faith, God, in his goodness, had in abundance for me. I can rejoice in the words from 1 Timothy 1:12-14, “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed from me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

Because of his great faithfulness and his great love for us, he does not leave us in our brokenness. God’s faithfulness in the past, by providing Jesus to save and restore us, continues today, tomorrow, and for eternity. God’s faithfulness calls us to holiness. He doesn’t just save us from his wrath; he doesn’t save us to stay in the world; he saves us to change us and to make us like him. His faithfulness gives us the strength to say “no” to the world and “yes” to him.

His faithfulness brings me peace that nothing in this world is better than what his love, grace, and mercy gives me. When I have moments that I love myself more than I love him or when my enemy wants me to remember my old broken and sinful self, God is faithful in his Word. I do not lose heart, I am being renewed each day (2 Corinthians 4:16), and he brings me back to him … because of his great faithfulness.

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

PRAYER

Lord, thank you for your everlasting love and faithfulness. Thank you for taking on my brokenness and showing me new life. Remind me of your promises, and renew my heart to be more like yours. It's in your perfect name, Amen. 

Mary Thionnet
Pastor Kids Ministries - OKC Location

Resources

• Listen to Great Is Thy Faithfulness. 
• Listen to God’s Story to Us by Crossings Kids Worship. 

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