José

García

When people have let us down with failed promises, and when everything we’ve placed our trust, security, and integrity in is lost, we come to understand that God is the only One who continues to be trustworthy. His faithfulness is always toward us. 

I remember a time in my life when I didn´t have a job. The days kept passing, and no matter how hard I tried and prayed, my situation did not change immediately. During that time I learned a valuable lesson—even when we do not receive what we need or desire in our timeframe, it is exactly in those moments that we must believe that God continues to be faithful. 

In our conceptualization of faithfulness, we most likely believe that if we fail someone, we’ve lost that relationship forever. But God goes far beyond any human concept. His faithfulness is unique, permanent, and does not change. When I looked around me again using this perspective, still without a job or without what I so longed for, I realized that God was inviting me to look beyond my present circumstances and see what I already had. 

At CBN Guatemala, we see God's faithfulness every day when we serve those most in need, when we support each other, when we see the smile of a child, and when we receive the hug of a family that has been blessed. It is when we learn to see our surroundings and circumstances from His perspective that we can recognize that what God does in our lives is simply supernatural. 

If the Lord remains faithful every day, then we should be faithful too. Our challenge is to keep the correct perspective about God's faithfulness and take it as a model for our daily living—by being faithful in all areas of our lives. Jesus said in Luke 16:10: 

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” (NLT) 

Let’s not forget that when we do not keep our promises, we are being unfaithful to both others and God. But the good news is that, every day, we can know God more—because Jesus, through His sacrifice on the cross, brought us closer to God our Father. The Bible tells us that when we place our faith in Jesus as our Savior, not only do we have eternal life, but He also forgives us when we are unfaithful. Let’s read these two powerful verses: 

"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) 

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9) 

Have you forgotten God´s faithfulness toward you? If you have, know that you can return to that faithfulness today, and cultivate and enjoy it again. I leave you with this Scripture to meditate on: 

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. (2 Timothy 2:13) 

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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The word thanks is probably one of the shortest words, but it carries a big meaning. How many times do we forget to give thanks? How many times do we forget to look at the sky, observe our surroundings, and smile with thanks?

We are not always disposed to express gratitude. I remember one of the saddest days of my life was when my 18-year-old niece died. I would never see her again, and I did not have the opportunity to hug her and say goodbye, due to her unexpected death. Remaining grateful during this very difficult time was the last thing that crossed my mind.

Over the years, we understand that, in a split second, the circumstances in our lives can change and rob us of that desire to be grateful. For a long time, I prayed,

Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food (Psalm 102:1-4 NIV).

For several months following this painful event, I decided to be silent and simply observe how everything was happening around me, see how each second passed. I stopped being grateful because, in the midst of this difficult process, a part of me had also died.

Pain can take us captive, and we can easily forget that God is always on our side. But, when the Lord shows us His love and His presence guides us in everything we do, He touches our hearts. Through serving in an organization like CBN, I have seen Him reflected in the lives of many people who contact us, write and call. They continue to trust and remain grateful, despite the difficulties they are experiencing, and God, through this, has touched my own heart.

Seeing and rejoicing together with people who, despite everything, give their lives to Jesus and decide to follow Him no matter what produces in me the greatest gratitude that can be expressed. It makes me realize that even in our difficulty:

The Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:5)

With time, we can learn to always be grateful, even without understanding, without knowing what tomorrow will bring. And as every second passes, life teaches us to be grateful and to understand that, with God, all things will work for His good, redemptive purpose.

I would like to ask you, are you ready to be grateful for every second of your life?

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Scripture is quoted from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION^®, NIV^® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.^® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.