Never-Changing :: God
As I sit here in the midst of a global pandemic, it's easy to see change. Children are home and not at school. Store shelves are often bare (looking at you, toilet paper aisle) and not overflowing with merchandise. Church services are online and not in person. 24-hour stores are closed overnight. It feels odd, surreal; almost like we're living out a movie. It feels like I'm being barraged with a lot of unexpected change. It's easy to fear the change, especially when it encompasses every single aspect of our lives.
When I feel fear start to creep in, I remind myself that I believe, I *know* that God does not change. Ever. He has always bee, is now, and will always and forever be the same God. He stays true to his word, and he will never change. That is a piece of my faith that I am hanging onto like a little one's lovey right now.
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| A favorite lovey...when did my youngest outgrow this??? |
One specific thing I know God will never change is his provision. My Bible app sends me a 'verse of the day' every morning. A day or two before writing this post, the verse was Philippians 4:19. It says, "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus." This alone was a comforting reminder of one way God cares for me.
I wanted to get the full context of what Paul was writing to the people of Philippi here, so I read all of chapter 4. In this chapter, you will find a wildly popular verse. Many people know Philippians 4:13; I bet you can recite it or at least finish the thought. It says, "For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need." It's often a favorite verse used to pump people up for a physical challenge. I've used it many times to get myself through a training run or a race. However, cherry-picking this one verse (or any single verse) makes it super simple to adapt to our circumstances any way we wish. If you back up a bit--just a couple of verses-this idea comes into an entirely different light.
Verses 11 and 12 say, "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little."
Keeping this specific promise of provision in mind, I looked up scriptures that tell me God never changes. There are plenty of examples, but wo stuck out at me more than the others. The first sentence of Malachi 3:6 reads, "I am the LORD, and I do not change." Hebrews 13:8 states, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Even in the midst of change and uncertainty in my life, God does not change. He will still provide my needs. It may look different than my "normal", but that does not mean he isn't providing.
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