I learned even more of God’s faithfulness as I went through seminary and into PhD work. He was faithful now not only to sanctify me but also to provide a job for my wife while I was in seminary and then for me when we decided to start having children. Through our parents and through the seminary, he provided for our family’s physical needs as well as for my education and for our housing situation. These are things that weren’t certain up until the very moment they needed to be taken care of – and yet he always provided.
I learned yet more about the faithfulness of God during my recent job search. I was so worried about finding a job after my PhD, constantly fretting over where I would end up and if I would be able to support my family. I must have filled out at least 50 applications – it was probably more like 100, but I lost count eventually – and even thought I had a shot at 3 or 4 because of people I knew at certain schools. But then CBU called, a school at which I thought I had no shot, and God proved again that he knew what was best for me and meant to take care of me and my family.
What I’ve learned about God’s faithfulness is that it is what motivated God to save me, what motivates him to continue to sanctify me, and what motivates him to bring me to Jesus in the end. It’s never been about me living in the power of my own faith, but about leaning on the faithfulness of God. I find it interesting that we so often push ourselves to have more faith – but I think all that really means is trust even more in God’s faithfulness towards you. That’s the hardest part, though, isn’t it? When something else comes along that tests your faith, you have to trust yet again. But whether we doubt or whether we increase in our own faith, God remains faithful to us.