He Faithful Will Remain

Lately these words from the hymn "Be Still My Soul" have been running through my head.

"Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain."

"Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below."

Have you ever read through the book of Nehemiah? I know it's not normally one most people flip right open to, but I encourage you to take a look. The book is about the Jews returning to Jerusalem after their exile into the hands of the Babylonians. Chapter 9 is one of my favorite chapters of all Scripture--dealing with the rebuilding of the Jerusalem wall and Nehemiah's prayer.

In this prayer, Nehemiah stated much of what God had done for His people from the time of creation to Abraham to Egypt and the wandering in the desert. Throughout this account Nehemiah repeatedly states what God had done, how the Israelites had failed Him, and finally how God had mercy and compassion on them.

"But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them"--Nehemiah 9:17

"You in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell"--9:19-21

Can you image that? God provided everything that they could possibly need during those 40 years, He was faithful. Which reminds me of 2 Timothy 2:13, "If we are faithless, He remains faithful-- for He cannot deny Himself"

So in a season of change for many, God will remain faithful. He will not leave you, nor forsake you. He will provide for your every need (notice, I did not say "want"). He will sustain you. And when you turn from Him and fail Him, He will still show you the forgiveness and mercy He gave to the Israelites so many years ago. He hasn't changed since then, and He won't change in the future.

Leave to your God to order and provide, because in ever change, He will remain faithful.