How to Know God is Faithful
Today is the last day of school for this year. My daughter is excited. The end of the school year and a non-uniform day as well. As I thought about today, I reflected where we were a year ago. We had no idea where Miss K would go to school in September. Her special needs were making things a bit complicated. Add to that the school system is something I have not experienced as a parent or even as a student. Today looking back I can say, I know God is faithful.
How to know God is faithful?
Begin by looking at God’s character. Who is God? What does he do? Look first at God and what he has done. The foundation for seeing God’s faithfulness must be God. So what has God done for you?
- He is with you. What a comfort to know that you are not alone. He is with you and will not leave you. (Isaiah 41:8-10)
- He gives wisdom. Because he is all-knowing he is wise and so he can give wisdom. (Psalm 147:5)
- He guides you. We do not have to stumble and find our own way. His Word is a light for our feet. (Psalm 119:105)
- He protects you. In both little and big ways we know that God protects us. At times we might not even know how he has protected us. (Psalm 138:7)
To Know God’s Faithfulness requires Reflection
To know God is faithful requires reflection. That is what I was doing this morning. Reflecting on a year ago when we didn’t know where she would go to school. We were waiting both for City Council to determine that she qualified for special needs provision and for a school place. My husband had visited numerous schools, talked with teachers, evaluated schools. In the end, we picked our number one and number two school. One of the reasons for our number one school was their attitude which was, “we can do it.” We can teach her and have her as part of our school. That school is a local mainstream school with special needs provision. It meant that she could go to school with people from church and dance. Their attitude is what made the difference.
Just days before the end of last school year we were notified that they had a place for her. This school is an integrated resource for visually impaired and as there were not as many VI students they were able to accommodate our daughter. God provided a place at just the right time. Time and time again God has done that for us.
Reflection requires time. Our lives are busy. We cross one thing off the to-do list and just move to the next. We need to make time to reflect. As you reflect, look at events and things happening in your life. Ask yourself, how God is working? Take the time to reflect.
Listen to Others Share How God is Faithful
Asking others to share how God is faithful is a powerful way of seeing God’s faithfulness. It encourages both the one sharing and the one listening. Ask the question and then listen.
School placement can be a stressful time for parents especially in an area where schools are over-subscribed. Add into that mix special needs and there is a bit more anxiety. We have done various school options through the years – homeschool, Christian school, and local school. For various reasons, we knew that we needed to put our daughter in the local school for the beginning of this past school year. I don’t think we really knew how we were going to do it but we knew that is what needed to be done.
The first thing we needed to do was to complete papers and evaluations to verify that she qualifies for special needs provision. God took us through all that. Then it was to visit schools and decide what schools would be our choice for her. God guided us through that process. God is faithful.
God’s Faithfulness will Fill you with Gratefulness
Now it is the last day of school. I reflect on God’s faithfulness and am filled with gratefulness. I am thankful for all God has done and the way that he has worked. My heart overflows with gratefulness. All I can is thank you, Lord. God is faithful.
“Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.” Psalm 119:90 (ESV)
I don’t know the circumstances in your life today. You might be struggling with a special needs child. You might be struggling with difficult decisions you need to make. What I do know is that God is faithful.
Now it is your turn to answer the question, How has God been faithful to you in the past year?