Proverbs 20:6. Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?
You’ve likely heard and even used the expression, “You’re all talk,” or, “Actions speak louder than words.” Well that’s the sentiment that is found in today’s proverb. There will be many people in your life that will say that they love you, they will proclaim their steadfast love, but they aren’t faithful to you. They aren’t loyal. They let you down over and over. They quit on you when things get hard. Proverbs says that it is nearly impossible to find a faithful person. Who can find such a person, it rather hopelessly asks.
How many people like this do you know?
One of the lessons intended for us from this proverb can be a hard one to swallow, but here it is – everyone will let you down in some way. No one is perfectly faithful and loving. No one will always get it right. Not your husband. Not your wife. Not your friends. Not your parents or children. Not even your pastors and ministers. And definitely not your celebrity heroes.
You may have noticed the use of the Hebrew word hesed (steadfast love) in this proverb, a word usually used to describe God’s steadfast, loyal, covenant love. Why use this word? To remind us that only God will truly love us and be faithful to us no matter what. Only God is perfectly loving and perfectly faithful. But no person is perfect, are they? There is no faithful MAN, right?
You obviously know where we’re going with this, don’t you? Jesus is the faithful man.
Have you found him?
Or, better yet, has he found you?
When you are in Christ you have all of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness in a best friend that will never, ever leave you, quit on you, or turn his back on you no matter how bad things get, and no matter how bad you get. Christ doesn’t proclaim his loyalty to you with no thought for his actions that follow. Jesus has never been “all talk.”
He said he loves us, and he demonstrated his love for us on the cross.
He said he will never leave us, and he took up residence in our hearts through the Spirit.
He said he forgives and cleanses from all sin, and he has never brought up our sin again.
He says he is coming again to receive us to himself, and he will. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Christ’s faithfulness is unending, unbroken, and undeniable. It is a faithfulness that truly empowers our own faithfulness towards others. When we know that we are never forgotten and never forsaken, we can take the risks necessary to be faithful within the Body of Christ with talk backed up by actions.
You: Do you struggle to find faithful friends? Are you a faithful friend?
You in Christ: How might today be different if you fully trust the faithfulness of Jesus?
Christ in you: Is there someone that you have proclaimed love and loyalty to, but you have failed to live up to that promise? How can Christ in you help?
Pray: Jesus, you are my faithful friend who has always done everything you’ve said you will do. Let me be this same kind of faithful friend from the love, joy, and peace, you have poured into my heart. Amen.
To Live is Christ 