FAITHFULNESS IS A VALUABLE PART OF ANY GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

Bible Reading of the Day: Read 2 Chronicles 29:1-2; 31:20-21.

Verse of the Day: “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

“Wow!” cried Annette. “Look at that!”

She and her family stood beside a road in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and watched a plume of boiling water shoot one hundred feet into the air. The sight was spectacular.

Annette’s dad read from a pamphlet they had received at the entrance to the park. “It says here that Old Faithful is one of many geysers in Yellowstone National Park,” he said. He looked up from the pamphlet to watch the display.

“That was so cool!” Annette shouted excitedly when the eruption was over. “Will it do it again?”

“Absolutely,” Dad answered. “The pamphlet said it does that many times every day. But we can’t stay to watch it. There are other things to see, too.” They got back in the car and headed toward Yellowstone Lake.

“What was the name of that geyser?” Annette asked.

“Old Faithful,” Mom said.

“Old Faithful?” Annette echoed. “Why is it called that?”

“Because it erupts every hour or two, like clockwork. You can count on it. That’s why it’s such a popular tourist attraction, because of its faithfulness.”

“Old Faithful,” Annette repeated.

They drove in silence for a few moments, until Mom turned to face Annette.

“That’s one of the things I value most about your father,” she said. “His faithfulness. I’ve always been able to trust him and count on him. He’s always been faithful-to God, to his friends, and to me. And I’ve always been faithful to him. That kind of faithfulness in a marriage is becoming more and more rare these days, but faithfulness is a valuable part of any good relationship. It’s something I want to see you develop more and more as you grow up.”

Annette and her mother faced each other thoughtfully.

“Maybe we should start calling Dad ‘Old Faithful,’” Annette suggested.

“Hey, watch it!” Dad said, suddenly joining the conversation. “Are you saying I’m an old show-off?”

Annette started laughing. Soon the rest of the family joined in.

TO DISCUSS: Have you been faithful to your friends? to God? to others? Do you need to work on “doing what [is] good and right and faithful before the Lord” (2 Chronicles 31:20, NIV)? How can you let God produce faithfulness in your life this week?

TO PRAY: “Lord, help us to do what’s good and right and faithful before you.”