The Faithful God: Finding His Strength in Difficult Seasons

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9

There are some truths about God that we know in our minds long before we fully understand them in our hearts.

We know that God is good. We know that God loves us. We know that God is faithful.

But sometimes it takes walking through a difficult season for those truths to move from something we simply know to something we have personally experienced.

Deuteronomy 7:9 reminds us of one of the most reassuring truths in Scripture: God is faithful.

He keeps His covenant. He keeps His promises. His steadfast love extends from generation to generation.

Lately, this truth has become increasingly precious to me.

His love is constant

God’s love is faithful because it is constant.

It does not disappear when life becomes difficult. It does not increase when everything is going well and decrease when our circumstances change.

God’s love is not conditional or transactional. It isn’t based on what I can do for Him, how well I perform, or whether I have managed to hold everything together.

His love is rooted in who He is.

Our circumstances change. People change. Plans change. Even our emotions can change from one moment to the next.

But God does not.

His character remains the same. His promises remain true. His love remains constant.

When you have to live what you believe

Over the past few months, I have been walking through a season of physical pain.

“Lord, I know You are with me in this pain. Thank You for helping me through it and for being my source of strength.”

And through this season, I have been learning something deeper about faith.

Sometimes faith is not God immediately removing the difficulty.

Sometimes faith is discovering that God is faithfully carrying you through it.

There have been moments when I simply wanted to feel better, when I wished God would completely heal me of the pain there and then.

But I have also realised how important it is to guard my mind.

I cannot allow the pain to become the only thing I think about. I cannot allow fear, discouragement or the lies of the enemy to take control of my thoughts.

Instead, I choose to return to what I know to be true:

God is with me.
God is helping me.
God is my strength.
God is faithful.

Faithfulness doesn’t mean an easy life

It can be easy to interpret God’s faithfulness through our circumstances.

When everything is going well, we readily say, “God is good.”

But what about when it isn’t?

Is He still good?

Yes.

Is He still faithful?

Absolutely.

God’s faithfulness does not mean that we will never experience pain, disappointment or uncertainty. It means that none of those things can change who God is.

My circumstances do not determine His character.

My feelings do not determine His faithfulness.

And my difficult days do not cancel His promises.

That truth has become an anchor for me.

An ever-present help

Psalm 46:1 tells us:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

I love those words: ever-present.

Not occasionally present.

Not present only when everything is going well.

Not watching us from a distance.

Ever-present.

He is with us right in the middle of whatever we are facing.

Sometimes we pray for God to change our circumstances, and rightly so. But while we are waiting for things to change, we can miss the beautiful truth that God is already present within them.

The faithful God of Deuteronomy 7:9 is also our refuge and strength today.

From knowing to experiencing

Perhaps this is one of the unexpected gifts hidden within difficult seasons: they can transform what we know about God into something we have experienced personally.

I knew God was faithful before this season.

But now I am experiencing His faithfulness in another way.

I knew God was my strength.

Now I am learning what it means to depend on that strength when my own feels insufficient.

I knew God was near.

Now I am learning to recognise His presence in uncomfortable places too.

There is a difference between knowing that God is faithful and being able to look back at a difficult season and say:

“I know He is faithful because He carried me.”

Perhaps you are walking through your own difficult season today. Your circumstances may be completely different from mine, but the God walking with you is the same.

You may not understand what He is doing. You may still be waiting for an answer to prayer. You may simply be wondering when things will get better.

But you can know the One in whom you have placed your trust.

Sometimes peace doesn’t come from knowing what happens next.

It comes from knowing who God is.

His faithfulness is bigger than this moment

Deuteronomy 7:9 gives us an extraordinary perspective. God’s covenant love extends to a thousand generations.

The God who was faithful to generations before us is faithful today, and He will remain faithful to the generations that come after us.

Our present difficulty is not the whole story.

We may not understand everything God is doing. We may not know when circumstances will change.

But this we can know:

He is God.
He is faithful.
And His steadfast love endures.

A prayer to the faithful God

My loving Heavenly Father,

Thank You that You are the faithful God.

Thank You that Your love is not distant, conditional or dependent upon my circumstances. Your love is constant, and Your faithfulness endures through every generation.

When life is difficult, help me to remember who You are. When my feelings overwhelm me, remind me that Your truth is greater than what I feel. When I am weak, be my strength. When I am discouraged, help me to rest in Your promises.

Thank You for being with me through every difficult season and for carrying me when I feel unable to carry myself.

Guard my mind from fear and discouragement. Help me to fix my thoughts on You and trust You even when I cannot see or understand what You are doing.

May I not simply know that You are faithful, but experience Your faithfulness more deeply through every season of my life.

I surrender my circumstances to You and trust You with what comes next.

You are God. You are faithful. And Your steadfast love endures forever.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

A thought to carry with you

God’s faithfulness is not determined by your circumstances.

The same God who has carried you before is with you now. You may not know what happens next, but you can know the One who will be there.

He is faithful. He is present. He is your strength.