The Faithfulness of God

It has been 10 years to the day that I arrived in Sydney on a Religious Worker's Visa to serve at Calvary Chapel Sydney as pastor.  I came without my family to begin preparing for the adventure of immigrating to a foreign land without any knowledge of how things would turn out.  All I can say is God is faithful and provided for our family at every step.  For all we gave up there was also gain beyond our expectations.  The difficulties and uncertainties were tempered by the greatness of the God who called us and would never leave or forsake us.  Just the fact we are still here after all this time is an amazing testimony of His grace and goodness.

It is fitting as I reminisce over the past 10 years in Australia I am struck by the contrast of how much God has done and how little I have accomplished.  It is true what the scriptures affirm, that in my flesh dwells no good thing.  Anything that resembles good from my efforts is all by the grace and power of God working in and through me, and this favour I do not deserve.  How good it feels to give all credit to God for doing the impossible time and time again, and for allowing me and others to be witnesses of His glory even in trials, pain, and trouble.  1 Corinthians 1:9 says, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." 

Yesterday was a great reminder of the faithfulness of God who hears prayers and provides for our needs.  Some might chalk it up to coincidence or wishful thinking, but I am glad to credit God for what only He can do.  In the afternoon I heard drops of rain sporadically pelt our roof.  The weather has been dry of late and I was not aware of rain being predicted.  I said aloud in the company of my family, "LORD, send the rain because we really need it!  Make it a flood--not a bad one, but with lots of rain."  Moments later hail and rain was absolutely bucketing down to the point I ran outside to cover my car with a thick blanket to protect it from hail damage.  This is something I never thought to do in Southern California where hail is rare and rarely bigger than a pea.  Laura and I stood looking out on the street from our room, marveling at the volume of water that rushed like a river past our house.

After the downpour, which lasted about 20 minutes, a rainbow appeared across the street exactly in the place it had a day previously.  I have never known rainbows to occur in the exact same location and I can tell you where it ends:  right on our street!  The God who causes rain to fall, makes rainbows appear in the skies, gave us eyes to see them and minds to turn towards Him, the God who was faithful to Noah, He is my God who has been faithful to me all my life.  The God who allows the ground to harden and grass to wither in heat also opens the heavens and causes refreshing, life-giving rain to fall.  The Almighty God has chosen to make a covenant with faithless people by His grace, and He causes rain to fall on the just and unjust.  The God who enabled me to become a citizen of Australia and buy a house will one day welcome me as a citizen of Heaven into the place prepared for me by His grace.  In God, His faithfulness, provision and promises I will be content.