Recently, my life has been changing in many ways. Friends moving on to pursue other God-given goals. Me getting a job at a local grocery store. Our family resigning from the ministry we've been at for 12 years, and dad looking for a new job. A possible life-changing diagnosis. New relationships at my job. Change, change, change.
If any of you know me, you know that I hate change. It has always been my downfall, and something that takes a long time for me to get settled in to. But, God doesn't promise that nothing will change in life. In fact, He has a tendency to use change to change us, grow us, and mature us. Change brings us a different outlook on life. It helps life not become monotonous and boring. It brings families together. It draws you closer to Christ.
If caterpillars stayed the same, we would never be able to enjoy butterflies.
If plants never blossomed, we would never be able to enjoy flowers.
If we never grew up and changed, we would never know what it's like to ride a bike, to swim in the ocean, to have a job, to make new friends, to get married, to have children, to watch your kids grow up, to learn many valuable lessons. We would never know.
But the best part about life, is that our Father never changes! He always remains the same, and we don't have to worry about Him changing His mind about us or deciding to change His commands every once in awhile.
"I the Lord do not change.." ~Malachi 3:6a
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17
"If we are faithless, He remains Faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:13
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" Numbers 23:19
"Many plans are in a mans heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand." Proverbs 19:21
"The grass withers, the flower fades, But the Word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8
Our Lord remains the same.
As I have been reading through the Bible this year, I am now in Deuteronomy. I must admit, it is probably my favorite book of the Bible! There are so many encouraging things in that book, most verses are underlined. Even though it was originally written for the people of Israel, I believe that since the Word is alive and Deuteronomy is in there, that these beautiful verses pertain to us as His children as well.
"Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
"Do not be terrified, do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God who is going before you, will fight for you...There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."
"The Lord you God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. Theses forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything."
"Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that He made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden. For the Lord you God is a consuming fire, jealous God."
"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul."
"For the Lord you God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers which He confirmed to them by oath."
"You were shown these thing so that you might know that the Lord is God, besides Him there is no other."
"Be careful that you do not forget the Lord...Fear the Lord you God, serve Him only."
"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession."
"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the Faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands."
"He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers."
"For the Lord our God who is among you, is a great and awesome God."
"He humbled you causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
"Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you."
"But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you."
"And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?"
"To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set His affection on your forefathers and loved them, and He chose you..."
"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing."
"Fear the Lord your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His Name. He is your praise, He is your God..."
"There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you."
"It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him."
"You are the children of the Lord your God...for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession."
Do you see how valuable you are? How chosen, how beautiful? God has called you to do something for His purpose, something to draw you to Himself, to bring others to Christ. You are worth more than gold. And despite what changes might occur, our Lord is in control and His is going to use these changes in your life to do something great for His Name.
Are you willing to do that for Him?
He is worthy and greatly to be praised
Olivia Grace
