Tina, Pastor, Nancy and Mike (in that order from left) are at Yellowstone this week. Click on the above graphic and you’ll end up watching a live still cam – updated every twenty seconds – where I captured them waving (OK, so only Nancy is waving!). The web page will tell you:
Old Faithful was named by the first official expedition to Yellowstone, the Washburn Expedition of 1870. They were impressed by its size and frequency. It is not the biggest or the most regular geyser in Yellowstone but it is the biggest regular geyser. Furthermore, it has been erupting in nearly the same fashion throughout the recorded history of the park.I like that part about “not the biggest or the most regular geyser.” Yet it is the one that people know best. It’s the one coming to mind first when we think of Yellowstone National Park.
It’s the combination of Old Faithful being the “biggest regular geyser” that gives it distinction.
What is distinct about our Christian witness? How is our faithfulness displayed? Is it big enough to notice, regular enough for an example? God’s faithfulness is confirmed when He calls us:
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV)
When He calls us, He enables us to do our calling:
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; (1 Timothy 1:12 KJV)
So – if we are unable to be faithful to Him, perhaps there’s a need to spend some time with Him to be certain of our foundation. Once that’s done, we shouldn’t have to go back to it:
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, (Hebrews 6:1 KJV)
“Faith toward God” – a principle of Christ’s doctrine and part of our foundation. Without that, we’d have to question “Faithful to what?” Once we have that foundation, though, we turn to the Bible for examples of how faithfulness is displayed. We can find a different example for every day of our lives.
Oh, we’d repeat stories over and over, but there are different facets to explore in each one. God’s faithfulness, though, is of utmost importance to me. In the middle of troubles and lamentations, Jeremiah wrote:
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21-23 KJV)
I’m reminded of Thomas Chisolm’s lyrics based on that scripture. In 1923 he wrote of God’s faithfulness throughout his life:
It is our goal to match that faithfulness. It takes concentration, but remember, He will enable the ministry He gives us. What is your ministry?Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou hast been,Thou forever wilt be.
Amen, yes he calls us and then he gives us what we need to do the task he called us to do, he is awesome and knows what we need, as well what our brother needs.
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