But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5: 22-23a

How do you define faithfulness? I believe many of us would equate being faithful to our relationships; our marriages, our kids and grandkids, our close friends. Others want to be faithful to a job commitment they have made or perhaps a volunteer endeavor. I can even imagine an old farmer referring to his dog as a faithful friend.

One thing I’m very faithful to these days is my daily core workout. This sprung from my bout with hip and leg pain last summer. My doctor and my physical therapist strongly encouraged me to remain faithful to it if I wanted to enjoy my garden and some light hiking and other activities that require a reasonable level of agility. You might say I’m “committed to the core.” OK….bad pun, but seriously, how do we most often apply the word faithfulness? 

Faithfulness is steadfastness, constancy, or allegiance; it is carefulness in keeping what we are entrusted with…(gotquestions.com)

Our modern world sees faithfulness through a slightly different lens than some of the familiar names from Bible passages. If we return to our earlier discussion of Noah, I think you’d agree that the man displayed a lot of faith. He had faith that God really did intend to flood the earth and that he needed an ark to survive it. He had faith that the blueprint set forth by God was adequate to keep his family and who knows how many animals afloat. He had faith that when his waterlogged journey ended, his family would have provision to start over. He listened to God and believed Him.

Then there was a young boy named David, a shepherd, who went up against a heavily armored giant with a slingshot and a bag of carefully selected stones. He certainly had no combat experience, unless we count the wild animals that always threatened his flock, but he had something more important…faith that his God would get him through to victory. And he was rewarded with success.

And what about Abraham? How do you wrap your head around taking your only son to an altar to be sacrificed? Talk about faith. Abraham was able to do what he did because he had faith that God would provide a sacrifice.

Biblical faithfulness requires belief in what the Bible says about God—His existence, His works, and His character. (gotquestions.com)

The greatest act of faithfulness was a man called Jesus, leaving the royal throne of heaven to walk in the shoes of a pauper here on earth, all to fulfill a commitment made before time began. Only an enormous faithfulness and an incredible over-the-top love for us could have carried Him through the torture He endured to save us from ourselves.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

This past year has been a testing time for Ken and myself. Pastor Sarah spoke eloquently on Sunday about how our faith is tested most in times of trouble when we finally realize we can’t go it alone. The short story is, this past year has brought us face to face with our mortality and it’s our faith that has kept us moving forward. After three seasons of testing, spring has finally sprung. At our age, we know our number of seasons is diminishing, but we’re moving, full speed ahead, into spring!

Faithfulness…is the result of the Spirit working in us. (gotquestions.com)

Who can dwell on the negatives in life when fresh new growth is breaking through the barren soil of winter? My gardening gene is kicking into high gear, Ken even anticipates the first mow of the season. Our excitement level rises as we drive along an Ozarks highway and spot a redbud here and there. A drift of yellow daffodils reminds us where a homestead once teemed with human life. Animals and birds get the natural itch to nest and humans take to the waterways. Time for us has always been marked by the changing seasons, reliable and always faithful in their arrival. I find my personal faith level rising as I witness the emergence of spring and I know that when Jesus comes to lead me home, we will walk together into an eternal springtime.

There is surely a time for everything…and though our lives keep barreling on toward the season of winter,

I’ll focus on holding the promise of spring faithfully in my heart.