SWHW Bible Reading Plan: October 2021Sample

Top Takeaway from Alonda Tanner:

When was the last time you sat down and really thought about all that God has done in your life? I read a book recently that challenged readers to make a timeline of the moments God showed up big in our lives, times that we felt most loved by Him. 

This assignment made me do something I don't always like to do; it forced me to recall a lot of hard things I faced in the past. It was uncomfortable. I almost skipped doing it completely.

One thing I noticed, though, as I was revisiting the hard stuff, was that even then, God was undeniably present. More than being just present, He was faithful. He walked with me through all the hard things I never expected I'd face, and He never once was less than what I needed. 

His love was persistent. 

That's a small picture of the faithfulness of God that David is expressing in Psalm 105. Something that sets his reflection apart from my own is that David didn't just recall the good that God did for him during his lifetime. He recounted the good that God had done for His entire nation; the body of Israel, as recorded in the Scriptures. 

The thing about God's faithfulness is that it was established before our relationship with Him began. Like David, we can trace the faithfulness of God all the way back to the first accounts of creation and His chosen people. 

Notice, not every recollection in David's Psalm is a pleasant one. 

He recalls kings who intended to harm leaders and prophets of God (Psalm 105:15). 

 He recalls the famine that fell throughout Egypt and affected his people (Psalm 105:15).

 He continues through their history, making an account of key moments. Of Joseph, David said, “He sent a man before them – Joseph – who was sold as a slave. They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” Psalm 105:16-19 

David accounts for trial after trial. Alongside each trial, David also accounted for the faithfulness of God. 

What amazes me about David is that he didn't need a perfect life to understand the faithfulness of God. He recognized that God's faithfulness is evident in the hardships just as much as it is in the blessings. 

Many times, both the hardship and the blessing are the same. Sometimes we disconnect with David's story because we know him as David, King of Judah, and we think of the strength, wealth, and prosperity he had as the king. What we should also consider is that period of time only accounts for a small part of David's story. 

Prior to becoming king, David was hunted by King Saul and his army. After being crowned king, David was hunted by his own son. He spent a lot of time running for his life. In between these two events, David had to wade through the dysfunction of his family, a firm (yet necessary) rebuke from the prophet Nathan, the loss of his infant son in response to the murder he committed and his actions towards Bathsheba. He even lost his kingdom for a time (though God did eventually restore him to it).

Yet when he speaks of God, David still calls Him faithful. Why? 

Because God never stopped being who He declared Himself to be. He never let go of His covenant. He was present. He was loving. He was faithful. 

Do you want to know something amazing? He still is; you can count on Him to be those things for all of eternity. 

Heavenly Father,

We want to thank You for being ever-present and always faithful from the beginning of time and even to this very moment. Your love has stayed the same; Your character has never changed, and Your Word has never returned void. No matter what we face, we know that we can trust You because, as David demonstrated in Psalm 105, Your faithfulness has been outlined for us in our lives and Your Word. Thank You for being faithful. In Jesus' name, Amen.