Do you value loyalty? Are you loyal to others? Are you loyal to communities? How do you show loyalty? Are there people or groups you should not be loyal to? Are you loyal to those who have authority over you? Are you loyal to God?Loyalty definition: unswerving allegiance to a person or institution. To support, or align your priorities in accordance to… to look out for and have concern for their well being… someone who is loyal who will treat you right even when they have reason not to… maybe you’re inconvenient, maybe siding against you would be to their personal advantage. For example; imagine a loyal friend who will pick you for their team even though you’re not the best player because they don’t want to see you embarrassed. A person who can be trusted and relied upon in small things and with regard to the big things.Is loyalty a biblical concept?The Hebrew word would be hesed. In English bibles hesed is generally rendered “faithfulness”, although you will occasionally see it translated as loyalty, kindness, friendship, even mercy.God’s loyalty to us: Hesed, or faithfulness is one of the many ways God describes Himself to us. He is faithful to His promises. He is faithful and loyal to His people. Looking out for them, concerned about their well beingOur loyalty to God: When hesed [faithfulness] is used to describe how we respond to God it means we are committed to, we support, we are aligned with Him. When describing our relationship with our Creator loyalty also includes obedience.So, if loyalty is unswerving allegiance to a person or institution... the scope of that definition changes depending on the relationship of the parties involved.For example; a person put in charge of a department at work can [and should] be loyal to those who work under him But that loyalty does not involve obedience. If I am one of the persons working under the department head loyalty for me would include obedience. Loyalty is also possible between two peers where obedience is not part of the equation.. although mutual submission would be essential. My point is: loyalty is not identical to obedience.A person might be obedient through fear of punishment and have no trace of loyalty.Loyalty is an Attitude of the HeartActs 13:20-22 to many, God’s love for David is a riddle. David committed adultery, he orchestrated a murderer, he was a warrior who had killed many men, elsewhere God calls David “a bloody man” and because of that wouldn’t let David construct the Jerusalem temple.We too struggle with the enigma of David. There were other men who come off as very righteous, scrupulous people, Noah, Job, or Daniel. Why did God love him so?Yet God saw qualities in David such that He called him a “man after my own heart”. One of the traits God saw in David was loyalty… to commitments, to people, to Israel and all it stood for in God’s plan. Loyalty matters because it is a basic attribute of God’s own character. And as any Father would, God delights in seeing himself reflected in His children: in you… in me… in David. The Importance of LoyaltyGod’s plan is to grant everlasting life, position, and authority to those who are in Christ at His return. Does it make sense that He would give all that to someone who does not demonstrate the character trait of loyalty? How do you prove your loyalty except through a life of temptation, trial, testing, even suffering? Consider your own life experiences: how would you ever REALLY know your friend is loyal except by seeing and experiencing what he or she does when they have compelling reasons not to be loyal? Loyalty is proved in response to challenges.The Loyalty of DavidI found loyalty abstract and difficult to define. God helps us understand concepts through the written example of others… such as the example of David. One way we learn about David’s loyalty is through the contrast drawn between him and Saul. David was loyal and devoted to God Himself; did what God askedDavid was a loyal and subject to his superiors;