When everything around you is changing, God is…Never-changing.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 (ESV)
God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Who would have thought?
At midnight, as the year 2020 made its debut, we put on jackets and stood in the chilly night air. We toasted the New Year as we launched fireworks near the pond behind our friends’ home. Giddy and filled with hope for the future, we huddled together and smiled for the camera.
Who would have thought that 2 ½ months later, huddling together would be dangerous? Gathering together would be a no-no. Smiling faces would be hidden behind masks, and hopes would be put on hold.
Our New Year’s Resolutions did not include social distancing and sanitizing groceries (yes, for awhile I actually sprayed my groceries with Lysol, until I realized I was probably doing more harm than good).
We hadn’t planned to shut down businesses and stay home in lockdown.
We didn’t foresee riots and civil unrest.
Who would have thought that the little church where we all worshiped would be closed for months, only to reopen under very different conditions?
Who would have thought that before the year was over, some members of our little group would be diagnosed with cancer and some would move away?
Things change. Sure, we like changes when they involve upgrades and improvements. But when change means losing things we love…. yeah, we don’t care so much for those. Some change is good, but some things are fine just the way they are, thank you very much.
A year later, we’re still in a state of uncertainty. Procedures change. Protocols change. Plans change on a moment’s notice.
And all this change can leave us confused and afraid of the future. But there’s one thing that remains constant: God.
God’s not fickle or unpredictable. He doesn’t promise something then change his mind. Our Almighty, never-changing God is not influenced by customs and trends. His Word is just as true as it ever was; he’s not going to revise it based on new information.
Jesus, the second person of the trinity, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Are you saddened by undesirable changes? Are you finding yourself in unfamiliar territory? If the once-sunny landscape of your life is shadowy, fix your eyes on God who is the Father of all good gifts. He hasn’t changed. He will not leave us. And I believe he’s got good things in store for us.
Father, I’m so thankful that you never change. You never break your promises. You never leave. Though the world around me is constantly shifting, your love does not change. Your precepts don’t change. Your goodness doesn’t change. I am holding on to you so tightly and trusting you to bring about good things for me.
Make a list of all the unwanted changes in your life. Then fold the paper and tuck it away. Next year, you can unfold that paper and see how God has used the changes to bring about good gifts in your life.
In the meantime, make another list of the good things in your life that have not changed.
Make a third list of the gifts of God that will never change.
When everything around you is changing, God is….
N- Never-changing