Unchanging God

https://odb.org/MY/2023/07/04/unchanging-god

One of the joys of reading the Bible is to learn more about who the LORD our God is. The Bible is very much the recorded history of how God dealt and related with His people. Some of the history are recorded actual interactions during ancient times through His prophets, and some are narrated and written down by people who experienced His goodness, love, and compassion.

A characteristic of God we should be aware of is that He is unchanging. James reiterated this in James 1:17, where he proclaimed that every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming from the Father of Lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. If we are experiencing peace and joy in our lives, it’s a blessing and gift of God. Despite the struggles we face, the trials and testings, we still have peace and joy. James advises that we let perseverance complete its work as we face trials and testings (James 1:12). Not only will we be rewarded after succesfully persevering through, but we will also experience the goodness, love, and compassion of God, in parallel.

This morning, please be reminded that the God we know and love and who also loves and cares for us dearly is an unchanging God. As seen in the Old Testament, although He allowed the Israelites to be captured and exiled by the Assyrians and then the Babylonians due to their insolence and disregard for His laws, He gathered them together again and rebuilt Jerusalem and its walls. It speaks of a God who is forgiving and compassionate and because, as James rightly pointed out, He is unchanging, He is still forgiving and compassionate today.

Thus, if we are going through some struggle or trial or suffering, heed James’s call to persevere on and let perseverance complete its work. I pray that as we go through our difficult and ardous journeys in life, we will keep our faith and trust that He will see us through. That we will experience His grace and compassion like the nation of Israel had experienced in the past. That we will emerge victorious and that we are drawn closer to Him, even as we experience Him working in our life. Just remember that the God that we so love and the Lord that we love so much are unchanging. If we look to the past, whether in the Bible or our own lives, we will see that He was great. Because He is unchanging, He will be great today and tomorrow and forever more! He is faithful, and His love is steadfast and endures forever!