i am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother lois and your mother eunice and now, i am sure, dwells in you now. [2 tim 1:5]
sincere faith is faith that rests in the character of God, not in circumstances or situations.
the unchanging, steadfast character of God stands in stark contrast to what we may see around us right now. as the world may be in upheaval, God, our king, our loving father, stands alone and set apart, solid, steady, never changing and always faithful. [ps 103:6,8-13]
as we look around us and see everything shifting and changing, and as we hear the lies of the enemy through fear and doubt bombarding our hearts and minds, now more than ever, we have to cling to and hold fast to the character and hope of who God is.
a sincere faith isn’t a faith without fear. it’s not a faith that doesn’t struggle with doubt. rather, it’s a faith that takes that fear, takes that doubt and runs to the cross and presses into the truth of the gospel. it is a faith that calls itself to remember the goodness and the character of God in the face of trials and struggles.
so take joy! remind your soul of the God of your salvation, place your hope and trust fully in him who is unmovable, never changing and always faithful! as the world may shift and change, our faith remains steadfast because of the steadfastness of who our faith is anchored in.
“the Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. he will not always chide nor will he keep his anger forever. he does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. for as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is is steadfast love toward those who fear him…”
“as a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him” [psalm 103:8-11, 13]
“though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet i will rejoice in the Lord; i will take joy in the God of my salvation
God, the Lord, is my strength…” [habakkuk 3:17-19]