On this day in 1932 Lou Gehrig set a major league baseball record when he hit four consecutive home runs.

Today, most people know the name “Lou Gehrig” only because of a disease named after him—the disease, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), that took his life in 1941. But Gehrig was an amazing baseball player, hitting for power and batting average. And for many years he held the record for playing in consecutive games—2130. During that streak, he played with broken bones (at least 17) and back spasms. No wonder he was called “the Iron Horse.”

Eventually, in 1995, Cal Ripken, Jr. broke that record. Ripken wound up playing in 2632 consecutive games. Both of those streaks are amazing. Imagine everything that might keep someone out of a game. In addition to injury, there’s sickness, family issues (births, deaths, etc.), and, of course, exhaustion. One thing’s for sure—every day, every game, the manager knew that Lou or Cal would be ready to play.

That’s faithfulness—being the kind of person who can be counted on, no matter what. You know people like that, don’t you? Maybe a teacher, coach, or pastor. Certainly your mom and dad. Hopefully even a friend or two.

God is faithful. Check out Lamentations 3:23: “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day.” We know we can count on God to be with us, everywhere, all the time.

But God wants us to be faithful as well. That’s the point of today’s verse. Paul was telling the Thessalonian believers he was proud that they had remained strong and faithful, through all kinds of trouble. He knew he could count on them to live for Christ.

How about you? If asked to describe you, would friends and others who know you say “faithful”? Determine to be someone that people, and especially God, can count on. Start a faithfulness streak today.

We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. (2 Thessalonians 1:4)

To Do

Think of someone who has been faithful to you (a friend, a teacher, and so forth). Take a few minutes and write that person a note, acknowledging his or her faithfulness and thanking him or her for it.

Also on this day . . .

1800—John Adams moved to Washington, D.C. He was the first president to live in what later became the capitol of the United States.

1851—The New York Knickerbockers became the first baseball team to wear uniforms.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.