Faith — Faithfulness
Faithful Even in the Clouds
by Sophia Prinsloo
Text Version | Afrikaans | Italian
After Eunice and Peter had faithfully done their schoolwork throughout the year, the long-awaited vacation came. At the beginning of the year, their parents had promised them a surprise if they would do their best every day and work hard. “What would the surprise be?” they wondered, and would their parents still remember their promise? Eunice and Peter surely did not forget about it.
After supper, their dad suddenly announced, “Eunice, Peter, because you were so faithful in doing your schoolwork, helping your mother in the house, and also helping me wash the car, we are going to be faithful to fulfill our promise. Next week, we are going to fly!”
“Wha-a-a-at?” Eunice asked excitedly, and Peter added highly delighted, “How? With what? Whereto?”
“We are going to visit Grandpa and Grandma and for that, of course, we have to fly on an airplane!” their mom replied smiling.
“Yippee! Yippee! Yippee!” Eunice and Peter exclaimed joyfully. “We have visited them so long ago and we are missing them dearly. How are we going to be patient for an entire week?”
The week passed quicker than expected and, before they knew it, they and their luggage had passed through all the checkpoints at the airport and were on the plane. A beautiful stewardess made sure their seat belts were tight enough. They were ready for takeoff.
A strange, nervous excitement took hold of them as the plane began accelerating faster and faster. First the front wheels lifted from the ground and then the rear wheels. They were in the air! The plane rose over the city, turning wide and, from the window, they could see cars and homes getting smaller and smaller. “Look, Eunice, the cars look like ants!” Peter said.
When the plane reached its desired height, Eunice and Pieter took turns sitting at the window, looking down at the earth far below. They could see rivers, dams and mountains, but not animals or humans. They were too small from that high up.
Suddenly, the scene outside the window turned white as they flew through a large cloud bank. Peter became worried when they could see only white clouds for a long time, “Dad! We can't see the ground. We do not know if we are going up or down. I am afraid we might crash into the ground, or another plane, or a mountain!”
“Don't worry, my son,” his dad said. “The pilot in the cabin has instruments to see how high we are flying, and whether the plane is flying level or is turning, plus how fast we are flying, in what direction we're flying and whether we are rising, dropping, or flying obliquely. Then they also have an instrument that warns them when other aircraft is approaching.”
“You see, when the pilot can't see anything outside, like when we fly through a cloud or fly at night, he cannot not rely on his own feelings to fly. Then he must faithfully obey his instruments, which give him the direction and guidance he needs to keep on flying safely.”
“But, Dad,” Eunice also asked, worried, “what if the instruments break down?”
“My child,” replied Dad, “the instruments are thoroughly tested before each flight to make sure everything is working properly. But if something does go wrong, they can always contact the ground control tower to help them land the plane safely.”
Eunice and Peter were very relieved and pleased that the pilot had instruments to fly them safely through the clouds, and they trusted that he would faithfully obey them. They landed effortlessly on the tarmac. After they got their luggage, Grandpa and Grandma welcomed them with outstretched arms, and they enjoyed a wonderful vacation on the farm.
After Jesus ascended to heaven and vanished into the clouds, the disciples waited faithfully in Jerusalem until they were powerfully filled with the Holy Spirit.
They remembered that Jesus told them they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, the whole of Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Yet they thought they had to proclaim the good news about Jesus only to the Jews.
One afternoon, while Peter was staying with Simon the tanner in Joppa, he went up to the roof of the house to pray. It was almost lunchtime and his stomach began to grumble when he smelled the delicious aroma of the food Simon's wife was preparing.
Suddenly his spirit went into a trance. He saw the clouds open before him, and a big sheet lowered by its four corners descended from heaven. On the sheet there were all kinds of animals and birds. There were monkeys and mice, lizards and snakes, eagles and ostriches, and many more. Then there came a voice from heaven saying, “Rise up, Peter! Kill and eat!”
Peter shuddered, “Never, Lord! I have never eaten such meat! This is unclean!”
The voice answered, “Do not consider unclean what God regards as clean.”
Since it happened THREE times before the sheet disappeared again into the heavens, Peter knew it meant something important, but he did not know what. While he was still wondering what the vision could mean, the Holy Spirit told him, “There are THREE men who are looking for you. Get up, go down, and go with them without any doubt, for I have sent them.”
When Peter went downstairs, he found three men, just the Holy Spirit had told him. There were a soldier and two servants in front of the door who told him, “Our master Cornelius is a captain in the Italian league. He is like us, not a Jew, but a righteous and god-fearing man. Yesterday, while he was fasting and praying, he saw an angel. The angel told him that God had noticed how faithfully he prayed every day and how he helped the poor. He commanded Cornelius to send us to come and fetch you here in Joppa, at the house of Simon the tanner, so that we can hear what God wants to say to us through you.”
Usually Jews and Gentiles did not visit each other, because the Jewish law prohibited it. Suddenly, Peter realized what his vision meant. God wanted to let him know that he may not call any man unholy or unclean just because they are not Jews. Therefore, Peter invited the three men inside and they spent the night there. The next day they all left for Caesarea where Cornelius lived.
When Peter arrived there, he was quite amazed. Cornelius' entire house was full of excited people just waiting for him. The whole of Cornelius' family and all his special friends were there, big and small.
Cornelius told Peter everything. He told him about the angel in dazzling clothes who ordered him to fetch Peter so he could communicate God's message to them.
Everyone listened carefully when Peter cleared his throat and began to speak. “I truly see that God does not mind what kind of nation or race you belong to, but if you fear him and do justice, then He will rejoice over you and accept you.”
Cornelius and everyone in his house were very pleased to hear that and could not wait to hear what else Peter had to say.
Peter continued, “I know you all heard of Jesus who brought peace between God and the Jews. This Jesus traveled through Israel and did miracles everywhere He went. He healed people from their diseases and cast out demons because God was with Him. However, the Jews killed Him by hanging Him on a cross, but God raised Him from the dead on the third day. Then He appeared to us, his disciples, and He ate and drank with us. He instructed us to proclaim that He is the Judge through whom God will judge all who have ever lived. But only those who believe in Him will receive forgiveness of sins in his Name, just as the prophets prophesied.”
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came upon all who listened to the word. The people who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on Gentiles, because they heard them speak in other languages and praising God. There and then, they decided to also baptize them in water, as the symbol of accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Cornelius, his family and friends were overjoyed that Jesus did not only come for the Jews but for all people, just as it was prophesied in the Scriptures. That is proof that God truly remains faithful to his Word!
REMEMBER:
God is faithful to his Word, and if we are faithful to obey his Word, He will help us and guide us, even in difficult and uncertain times.
THINK!
1. In what were Eunice and Peter faithful?
2. In what were their mom and dad faithful?
3. In what was Cornelius faithful?
4. In what was Peter faithful?
5. In what was God faithful?
6. What is our direction indicator in this life?
7. Why is it good to be faithful to God?
A VERSE TO LEARN
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
ALTERNATE VERSES TO LEARN
“Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy
faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds” (Psalm 36:5).
“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever:
with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness
to all generations” (Psalm 89:1).
“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the
fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord”
(1 Corinthians 1:9).
“But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you,
and keep you from evil” (2 Thessalonians 3:3).
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering; (for he is faithful that
promised;)” (Hebrews 10:23).
“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a
crown of life” (Revelation 2:10b).
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
The Bible says that God’s faithfulness is for every generation, not just for those in Bible times, but for you as well. Because God is faithful to his Word, we can put our trust in Him wholeheartedly. Can you think of instances where God was faithful to you? Maybe He helped you when something bad happened or maybe He comforted you when you were sad, or gave you peace when you were afraid. Thank Him for those instances and don't keep it to yourself, but tell others about it as King David did when he said, “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation” (Psalm 40:10).
Have you been faithful to God in any way? God says in his Word that if you're faithful in the little things, He will reward you with big things. Name some ways you can be faithful at home, at school or at church, with Bible reading and praying.
[After discussion:] God shows his faithfulness every time He forgives your sins. He says in 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, including ways we have been unfaithful. Would you like to serve a God Who is faithful and forgiving when you confess your sins to Him? Think of a time you were unfaithful, confess it to God and ask his forgiveness and thank Him for it.
LET'S PRAY
****************************************************
Heavenly Father, forgive us where we have
not been faithful. Please forgive us where we
have doubted your faithfulness. Give us
power through your Holy Spirit to be faithful
to You by praying every day and reading the Bible,
which is our road map to heaven. Help us to be
faithful in our schoolwork and in the tasks our
parents ask us to do. Help us to remember that
You are always faithful. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
****************************************************
CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
Acts 10:1-48
Galatians 5:19-26
STORIES IN THIS SERIES:
The Fruit of the Spirit
Love
Joy
Peace
Longsuffering/Patience
Gentleness/Kindness
Goodness
Faith/Faithfulness
Meekness/Humility
Temperance/Self-Control
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Be Faithful (1 & 2 Timothy-Philemon) by Warren Wiersbe
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Character by God's Design: Volume 1 (Diligence, Faithfulness, Gratitude)
Peter Visits Cornelius lesson at a glance for ages 2-3
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The Fruit of the Holy Spirit — What is faithfulness?
Story Ideas
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