“Know that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps his gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations with those who love him and keep his commands.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I have a friend I’ve known since my high school days. It is because of her efforts alone that we are still close friends. Over the years she has adamantly refused to let us drift apart, even though we rarely lived in the same city.

Not only has she made sure we stay in touch, but through her I have kept in touch with several other high school friends I may otherwise have lost touch with and entirely forgotten about.

I’m sure they would’ve forgotten about me too!

But my friend is loyal. She is and has always been the most dedicated (stubborn?) and loyal person I have ever encountered. I have grown to admire her so much for that.

There were times in our relationship when I wondered why she would try so hard. At times in our lives we had little in common. At one point she was living on a farm raising two young kids in rural Wisconsin while I was a single Technical Director of a software company in Seattle. But she made sure I didn’t forget about her, and she made sure I knew she hadn’t forgotten about me. She asked me to be the maid of honor at her wedding, she made sure I met her kids, she contacted me for all the holidays and big events, and she was in my wedding party as well.

I do not deserve such loyalty. I have not made the effort she has made. She has done most of the work. Now that we are getting old, I realize the enormous value of her loyalty and friendship. And I am so grateful to her for this lesson which has taken me decades to learn.

And yet my friend’s incredible loyalty pales in comparison to God’s loyalty. His loyalty reaches so deep, it stretches beyond my life. When I put my faith in Him, His faithfulness to me reaches a thousands generations beyond me. I don’t deserve that. Not at all. But what a beautiful and generous gift.

I thank my friend. And I thank God.

Dear God,

Thank you for my loyal friends that I did nothing to deserve. Thank you also for the work you have done in and through this particular loyal friend. Teach me to be a good friend to everyone you place in my life. Thank you for your extraordinary loyalty and love.