BE FAITHFUL ALWAYS

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; ...”
(Proverbs 3: 3)

A story is told of a village in a part of the world that is rainy for a
short period of the year and dry throughout the rest of the year. One
year the village elders announced a plan. Everyone in the village was
to bring a vessel full of water during the rainy season and pour it in a
large tank in the centre of the village. Then when the dry season came
and water was scarce, they would still have water and they would all
share equally the water in the tank. The villagers all cheered the elders
and agreed to the plan. The rainy season came and went, dust began
to settle on the village, the ground began to crack from the dryness and
water became scarce. Then the day arrived when the elders agreed
that the tank should be opened and the precious water should be shared
among the villagers. Everyone gathered around the tank with buckets,
and a spirit of celebration was in the air. With great enthusiasm the
elders opened the tank and discovered that not a drop of water was to
be found inside! Only then it was learned that not one of the villagers
who had agreed to the elders plan had poured a single vessel full of
water in it. Each had assumed that his or her vessel of water would
not be missed and so the water tank had sat empty throughout. What
a pity! The village was as usual without water in the dry season.

Dear friends, it is easy to think that no one will notice our
unfaithfulness. It is easy to skip class or a meeting. It is easy to decide
not to fulfill the promise we have made to a friend. It is easy to promise
money to someone and then pretend to forget about it, thinking that
“no one will notice” or “it is no big deal”. But remember, unfaithfulness
does not hurt only those who are depending on us, it hurts us too. If
each of the villagers had brought his or her vessel full of water, that
water would have been returned to them all. Psalm 18: 25 says that to
the faithful, the Lord shows Himself faithful. If we are faithful, we will
receive faithfulness back from God. Not only that, people will respect
us for our integrity.

*PRAYER*: Dear Lord, let me not be unfaithful to anyone. Let me not think that
no one will notice me, and deceive others by doing irresponsible acts. Your eyes are
always watching me whether I am faithful to You and others. I will receive the
due reward from You for my every deed. Amen.