Subscription Lists
God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
"Let love and faithfulness never leaveyou; bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs 3:3 (NIV)
We have seen faithfulness in the news recently. A couple in Connecticut have been recognized as the longest married couple in the United States-80 years as man and wife. My thought when I saw this on my computer was they have been married longer than most people live. I was impressed by their marital longevity.
Several years ago, I met a mother who cared for a special-needs child for decades. She and her husband kept him at home. Her family’s faithfulness to her son impressed me. A wife whose husband suffered a stroke one year after their marriage causes me to appreciate her commitment to care for him the best way she can. A neighbor cared for his wife during the ten years of her illness-one that was so rare that they didn’t know its name until the last six months she lived. She passed from this earth at their home.
A few years ago, I watched a movie, Hachiko: A Dog’s Story, on television about a dog who walked his master, a college professor, to the train station every day and waited until the master returned. One day the man had a massive heart attack while at work in the city. Hachiko, without fail, waited for his owner’s return. Other people, working in the area of the train station, watched over the dog until one of the town’s people discovered Hachi had died.
People do not consider me to be a dog lover. We’ve had a few in our marriage but a childhood incident made me afraid of them until we got one. I have respect for them but I have to know an animal before I get close to one. This movie, Hachi: A Dog; gave me a new insight on how the attachment to its master can lead to love and faithfulness.
When we read the Old Testament we find that God has been faithful to His people in spite of their unfaithfulness. The Hebrew people got wooed by the people they invaded; disobeyed God and married with them. Also, they fell into worship of the other nations’ gods. The people would return to God for a while and then wander off; after while they would return only to wander off again and again..
In today’s world we can see signs of God’s faithfulness to us. In the 1980s the only way doctors could correctly diagnose a patient with Alzheimer’s disease was through autopsy.1Presently, the medical community can prescribe medication to control the symptoms.2In 1963, when President and Mrs. Kennedy had a son born with respiratory problems, the medical community could only make that baby comfortable, monitor his blood chemistry, and console the parents and extended family. Today that condition is considered treatable, with an 85% survival rate. 3
People can see God’s hand of mercy in their individual daily lives. One of my friends was making a prayer shawl for one of our church’s ministries. While she worked on it she prayed for the person who would receive the shawl and for her family. One of her grandsons has a longstanding issue affecting his life. After she prayed about his need, God answered his circumstance.
1. 1. http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet
2. 2. http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet
Rate it:
Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "God's Words For US" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.