Great Is Thy Faithfulness

By Meron Asnake (WITHIN Devotional Contributor)
 “Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me”

Beloved, I have finally received an email I have been waiting for the last three years.

I am an international student from Ethiopia, who has lived in the U.S. for the last 10+ years. In short, I have spent enough time – the latter half of my adolescence into my adulthood – to call the States, home. However, the matter of my immigration status is at hand, and my work permit is inching to expire this July. My lawyers and I have been applying for the last two years and have been unsuccessful to get my work visa. In addition, this is our final year to apply for it; hence, we sent the application with heavy hearts and high hopes. For we knew, I will be forced to leave the country indefinitely if it was not selected.  

With that knowledge, I began to subconsciously prepare for the next season, in order to feel a sense of control over my situation. The truth is, going home to Ethiopia is not the problem – for I have missed my family dearly. It was the uncertainty attached to my finances that caused my doubt. I would be forced to quit my job and start all over again. In other words, I doubted God’s provision for a situation that has yet to reveal itself. As a result, I began experiencing anxiety. 
At the same time, I had an internal war with my fears for I have seen the faithfulness of God. So, I did what I knew to do – to grab on the stones of remembrance of my life like the people of Israel in Joshua 4.  I looked for areas where God cut off the waters of Jordan for me to walk through. I recalled the countless times the Lord provided and protected me from things seen and unseen. I held on to His promises, and meditated on His character, for God is not a man that He should lie; the Holy God is not going to sin against me; I held on to His word for whatever He said He will make good of – Numbers 23:19. 

Instead of budgeting for a future I did not control, I betted my focus on the God I knew to be faithful. That meant to trust and rely on His goodness and His direction regardless of the favorable outcome of my circumstances.  What should always matter is His sovereignty over my life, and the overwhelming peace that I will find in Christ. And that Beloved, is not measured by my physical address, but the presence of His Holy Spirit, which is my Home. With that reassurance, I decided to be still, to relinquish control, and pause my subconscious planning indefinitely. 

Once my heart recalibrated to His Sovereignty and His meticulous purpose for my life – to honor, to glorify, to delight, and to serve Him with the rest of my life – I saw: 
“All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”
​
Beloved, I have finally received an email I have been waiting for the last three years. I have been selected to process my new work visa. I look forward to visiting Ethiopia and seeing my dearest family. Great is thy Faithfulness, O God my FATHER.
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The weekly devotionals seek to encourage you to dig deeper into Scripture as you take the time to daily read, meditate, and internalize the verses in the devotional, along with the passages provided below to give greater context. Take the time to read them throughout the week (repetition is important) and ask the Holy Spirit to help you grasp what God is showing you about Himself, about you, and how to live in light of these truths. 
Passages to read/memorize/meditate:

Joshua 4:1-8
Numbers 23:19
Joshua 1:9

Questions to Reflect on:

1. What are YOUR stones of remembrance?
2. How can you hold on to the truth about God’s character to encourage you in hard times?
3. Will the outcome of your challenging experience change your view of God, and his faithfulness?
4. Are you willing to relinquish control in areas where you are tight fisted?