Great is Thy Faithfulness

This morning in my devotions, I was reading from Joshua 24 – when Joshua, as a final act of his leadership of the Israelites, renews God’s covenant with them and reminds them of God’s faithfulness in the past. This kind of reminds me of what happened in Chapel this past week.

President Cooper gave a testimony of God’s faithfulness to Redeemer University College during his time as our president. As a first year who didn’t know much about Redeemer’s history I was amazed to hear of how God’s hand has guided this school right from its founding in 1982, to its breakthrough in 1998, to now. Actually the “breakthrough” story was really inspiring to me. Prior to 1998, Redeemer was only able to offer a Bachelor degree of Christian Studies. We had the program in place for the Bachelor of Arts and Science, but it was not recognized. So one day, Pres. Cooper went to a meeting ready to fight for our right to offer these degrees. But when he got there, he found that no one was opposed as all knew Redeemer alumni and knew that they were just as good as any other undergraduates. It’s like God went before us and already won the battle for us. Pres. Cooper is quoted in The Crown on this topic saying, “That really was the moment in Redeemer’s development when it felt like the heavens opened and God smiled on us. If you know the inner workings of how that came to be, then you know how God’s fingerprints were all over that.”

I know many students are sad to see Pres. Cooper leave after so many years of great service to our school and being our leader through so much growth. Since that 1998 breakthrough, our school has more than doubled and has expanded to include 52 denominations – not just Dutch CRC kids. (lol) But as we look at the past and reflect on how God has lead us through so much, we also look to the future and realize that God will continue to guide us through our next president Dr. Krygsman.

Dr. Krygsman also gave a testimony at chapel about how he was called to be our new president and shared with us a bible verse. In Philippians 3 we are encouraged to run the race, pressing on towards the goal to win the price for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. I know that God will continue to cultivate growth in Redeemer through Dr. Krygsman and I am excited to be a witness to that in my next couple of years here. We concluded our chapel with singing Great is Thy Faithfulness. God will continue to be faithful to us and we are blessed to be witnesses and recipients of his great faithfulness!

I am also excited because of the Campus Visit Days that have been happening this week as all high school students are off on March Break. These prospective students are the future of Redeemer and are currently just getting a glimpse of Redeemer’s wonderful community and education, but just wait until next year. Then they will be fully immersed in the great riches of a Christian education that is more than just studying but a better understanding of our life as God’s servants. It’s amazing!

I can also look back on my year at Redeemer – last year this time I was just another student getting lost in the halls on a Campus Visit Day. And I can see God’s faithfulness to me as he led me through the application process, finishing Gr. 12 exams, paying for university, finding me an awesome dorm, and making me grow so much spiritually and academically. God is so great and everyone here at Redeemer has their own testimony to God’s faithfulness. It is my hope that all the prospective students this week will get to become a part of Redeemer’s testimony to God’s faithfulness.