Our God Is Faithful, 100%

Have you ever read the story, "Horton Hatches the Egg" by Dr. Seuss? It is a wonderful story about an elephant named Horton. The story begins with a lazy bird named Mayzie sitting on her egg in a tree. Sitting on the egg was tiresome and boring and Mayzie hated it. "I'd take a vacation, fly off for a rest if I could find someone to stay on my nest!" said Mayzie.

That’s when Horton walked by. Mayzie asked Horton if he would sit on her egg while she took a little rest. Horton objected at first, but Mayzie promised that she would not be gone long, so Horton finally agreed and soon he was sitting on the nest while Mayzie flew off to Florida for a vacation.

In Florida, Mayzie had such fun that she decided she would never return to her nest. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, but Horton kept sitting there, day after day. Winter came and icicles hung from Horton's trunk and his feet, but still he remained faithful to his promise to Mayzie.

"I'll stay on this egg and I won't let it freeze," he said with a sneeze. "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant is faithful, 100%."

Now, I don't know if elephants are really faithful 100% or not, but I know someone who is. God is faithful, 100%! The Bible is full of the promises of God, and God is always faithful to keep his promises.

In the Bible, there is a story about a man named Simeon. Simeon was a very old man who had faithfully served God all of his life. Simeon was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Christ, the promised Messiah. A few days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to dedicate him to God. Simeon was in the temple. As soon as Simeon saw the baby, he knew that Jesus was the Christ and that God had kept his promise that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. God is faithful to his promises, 100%!

We are at the beginning of a new year. Many of us will make promises to God about things that we will do in the new year. I'm afraid that many times they are promises made, but never kept. If God is faithful to keep his promises to us, don't you think that it is important for us to keep our promises to him?

This year, as we make our promises to God, let us say, like Horton, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. I'll be faithful to God, 100%."

Dear Father, as you are faithful in keeping your promises to us, may we be faithful in keeping our promises to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.