There’s many a reason to be thankful – thankful to be alive, thankful for our friends, thankful for any kind of material and spiritual blessing. The Lord is good; the Lord is love; the Lord is faithful.

Speaking of His faithfulness: Yesterday I was practicing Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are” on the piano. And while I was going through the bridge section of the song something in his lyrics caught my eye:

“What will it take till you believe in me the way that I believe in you?”* (Source: “Just The Way You Are” from 1977 album: “The Stranger”)

It suddenly occurred to me that believing in God is a two-way street. Have you ever thought about the fact that God believes in us? If He didn’t, He wouldn’t do what He does. He has expressed His belief in us faithfully throughout human history.

Take Job’s story for instance. When Satan was badmouthing Job, God was undeterred in His belief that this man would not jump ship and abandon his faith even after everything was taken from him – a truly fascinating testimony of God’s faith in human beings. However His deep commitment to us culminates in the sacrifice He made. God gave us His Son; His Son Jesus became the Son of Man who died for us; and His Spirit is poured out on planet Earth to help us. None of this would have happened without God’s undeterred belief in you and me.

God is on our side and He will always go to bat for His children. He is fully invested in us. So what will it take till we believe in Him the way that He believes in us? – That’s a question only we can answer.