Faithfulness

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good

name in the sight of God and man.

—Proverbs 3:3–4

Loyal and True

Introduction

A loyal friend is someone who will stick with you—and stick up for you—through thick

and thin. David had such a friend. His name was Jonathan. Jonathan’s father, King Saul,

was jealous of David and kept trying to kill him. If Jonathan had helped his father do that,

Jonathan might have become king himself one day. But Jonathan knew that God had chosen

David to be king. Also, Jonathan loved David and was loyal to him. So he helped David

escape from King Saul.

Are you a loyal person like Jonathan? God wants you to be. His desire is for you to be

faithful to him and faithful to others as well. In fact, God wants you to be such a loyal

person that you develop a reputation for it!

Today’s devotion is based on Proverbs 3:3–4, which says, “Let love and faithfulness never

leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you

will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” The devotion is called “Loyal

and True.”

Devotion

Adrian wandered onto the vacant land next to his house. His family’s St. Bernard, Moose,

followed him. They used to play in the field that was once there. But now the land was

being prepared for new houses, and the ground was all torn up. Adrian was sad about that.

But he also wanted to look at the earthmovers parked there for the night.

“Check out this backhoe, Moose!” Adrian said. It was getting dark, and he wished he had

a flashlight. “I’d sure like to drive—” Suddenly Adrian fell into a large hole. His ankle was

twisted and his side hurt, so he couldn’t climb out or yell. Moose stayed with him, barking

for help. Finally Adrian’s parents came to his rescue. “Good boy, Moose,” Adrian said when

they pulled him out. “You’re a loyal dog!”

St. Bernards are known for their loyalty. God wants you to be known for yours. The Bible

says you should strap faithfulness around your neck—kind of like the little wooden barrels

St. Bernards wear in cartoons. That means you should practice faithfulness until it’s part of

who you are. Then you’ll have a quality that God values and rewards.

words to treasure

A faithful person will be richly blessed.

—Proverbs 28:20

Questions

1. Why is it important for friends to be loyal to one another?

Some answers: being loyal to one another builds trust between friends; it proves you care for

each other; it shows that you value your relationship; it’s what God wants you to do.

2. In Revelation 19:11, the apostle John wrote, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me

was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True.” Who is the rider John was talking

about? To whom is this person loyal? How does this verse give you another important reason to

be faithful?

Answers: The rider on the white horse is Jesus, and he is loyal to his heavenly Father. And the

Bible says we are to be like Jesus!

3. By being loyal to David, Jonathan probably gave up any hope he had of becoming king of Israel.

What did it cost Jesus to be loyal to his heavenly Father?

Answer: it cost him his life, because Jesus was loyal and obedient when he knew God wanted

him to die on the cross to save the world from its sin.

4. What do Jonathan’s and Jesus’ examples teach you about loyalty?

Answer: It often costs something to be loyal, but it’s important to be faithful anyway.

5. Jonathan was faithful to David, who was a godly man, but not to his own father, who was sinful.

Jesus was faithful to his heavenly Father, but not to Satan, who tempted him in the desert to turn

from God and worship him. What do these two examples teach you about loyalty?

Answer: it’s important to be wise when choosing to whom you should be faithful!

6. What are some practical ways you can “bind [love and faithfulness] around your neck” and

“write them on the tablet of your heart”?

Some answers: memorize Scripture verses, such as today’s “Words to Treasure,” that remind

you to be faithful and loving; wear a chain around your neck with a cross or other symbol on it

to remind yourself to be loyal; keep a journal in which you write about your desire and efforts

to be faithful and loving, and keep track of how you’re doing; etc.

Consider spending some time playing a game or doing an exercise to help children memorize

the “Words to Treasure” Scripture verse.