Have you ever made a purchase or received a gift that you were really, really pumped up about, but once you got it home to try it out, it failed to live up to its expectations?
Yeah. Me too. Talk about a heart-breaking moment.
My most recent encounter with an experience like this was with an incredibly awesome running jacket. See, my sweet (and crazy generous) mother-in-law has been cheering me on in my quest to become a runner in 2014. Runners apparently need running gear, especially if you live in a rather rainy state like Washington. (Note: I am NOT complaining about the rain. Running in the rain is not my top five most favorite things to do, but if I was living in most other states, running outside in Jan-March would be nearly out of the question.)
Anywho. Runners need gear and I realized that running in the rain two or three times a week in a sweatshirt wasn’t a very productive idea. So my darling MIL offered to by me a waterproof running jacket.
It came in the mail, and friends, it was like Christmas to this pseudo-runner’s heart! Such a cool looking jacket… Bright neon pinkish-orange, perfect sneaky pockets, great fit. YES.
I took it out a few times (not in the rain) and fell in love with it. Lightweight, yet obnoxiously brightly colored to keep me from getting smoked by a car.
Then early one morning, I loaded my little daughter up in her stroller, attached the dog to the leash, donned my super-rocking cool jacket and took off to log a few miles.
I got caught in the rain and realize the jacket was not in fact waterproof.
It was water-resistant. Talk about your fine print! Apparently, “water-resistant” is an athletic apparel’s way of saying “The torso and one strip of this coat’s hood will repel water– but both sides of your head and everything on your shoulders to your wrists will be drenched.”
As much as I adored that blinging running jacket, it didn’t live up to our expectations. It failed. It let me down. It lacked faithfulness.
Which, thankfully for us, is a characteristic we will NEVER have to worry about when it comes to following our God.
The second truth about God in our series is this:
GOD IS FAITHFUL
In our relationship with God, there is no fine print. He is what He is– He is I am! God’s promises are always truthful… He is always there to encourage us, carry us, and bail us out.
Whether we are caught running in a rainstorm or not.
The irrefutable fact that God is faith is a truth that I hold near and dear to my heart. I know that no matter how hard the wind is blowing the rain is pouring, God never leaves us out to fend for ourselves.
He protects us. Covers us. Walks with us until we make it Home.
Kind of makes you want to go for a run with Him, right? (It can be a figurative or literal run… whichever you choose.)
Dear friends, please know that when it comes to following Christ and walking in His light, there are no failed expectations. He is more faithful than we could ever dream or desire. God doesn’t have disclaimers or try to develop a loop-hole to leave us high and not-so-dry.
God. Is. Faithful. PERIOD.
Think back to the times in your life that God has proven His faithfulness to you. What was it like? I would love to hear all about it– feel free to leave a comment.
I still love my obnoxiously bright-colored running coat. I will still wear it in DRY weather. But since that time, I have been gifted a new, guaranteed waterproof running jacket. The tag actually says it “Repels everything but adventure.” And it’s true. Tried it out in the first rainstorm and I was protected and covered.
God is like the second coat. He is true to His word. He protects us from the elements. He is always there when we need him, rain or shine.
God is faithful.
Rejoicing in His Faithfulness,
“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” ~1 Corinthians 1:9
Linking up today with Jen at Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, Hazel via Tell Me a Story and Jennifer Dukes Lee over at #TellHisStory. Be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
