“It is well for us that, amidst all the variableness of life, there is One whom change cannot affect; One whose heart can never alter, and on whose brow mutability can make no furrows.”
~ Charles Spurgeon
"The only constant in life is change."
I am not sure who first made this profound yet obvious statement, but my life is a testimony to its truthfulness. Can anyone else relate?
Change.
Change my mind. Change a diaper. Change the oil in the car. Change in the sofa to buy a gallon of milk. Change the sheets. Change a light bulb. Change schools. Change jobs. Change in the date night jar.
Change.
Sometimes things change when I wish they would stay the same. Other moments I long for change but change does not occur.
Change begins from the moment of birth, when we leave behind the safe, gentle, and warm comfort of the womb for the cold, bright, and sometimes harsh reality of this world. Adam and Eve experienced change when they were ejected from the Garden of Eden. Wow, what a change that must have been, having previously found all of their needs, wants, and aspirations met in the Lord only to find that their desire for change, to know the mind of God, brought them the biggest transition ever.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.Genesis 3:6 ESV
So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. Genesis 3:23
Change.
Change of residence. Change in relationships. Change of clothes. Change in the hearts of all men and women.
Change comes when we least expect it, yet if we keep our eyes focused upon God, the signs are often present. The world experienced significant change in the time of Noah simply because all had turned away from God's goodness and commands. The flood changed the topography, the geography, the geology, and genealogy of the earth. By the sign of the rainbow, God promised never to make that kind of change again. Yet His people continued to divorce themselves from Him; never content, never satisfied. Always desiring change.
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:5-8
Change is inevitable, and usually a by-product of our own action or inaction. God changed not only Abram and Sarai's names to Abraham and Sarah, but He changed the course of history when He gave them a son and made Abraham the father of all nations. But Abraham also instigated a change which has brought unrest in the world to present day when he could not wait for God's promised change in his status as a father. Abraham took Sarah's servant and had a child called Ishmael, from whom the Muslims descend.
Change can indicate a new favor or mission in the eyes of the Lord. God changed Jacob's name to Israel "because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”Genesis 32:8 God changed Saul, a persecutor of Christians, from a man with sight to a blind man and finallyback to a man with true vision when He converted Saul to Paul on the road to Damascus. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:17
The point of change is to turn our hearts back to God and His plan and purpose for us. But so often we cannot see through the self-induced stress and angst brought about by change to realize the goodness in store for us. God knows we will experience change, and He gave the prescription for handling it:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
Girlfriends, you and I will face change in our lives. We can embrace it, or we can resist. Either way, God is the Author of change, and the outcome will remain despite our attitude toward the change. What will suffer however is our progress in our faith as well as our relationship with God and with others.
I pray today that if you are facing some degree of change, that you will turn to Scripture for guidance and assistance.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. Proverbs 3:5-7
Remember that God is using change to work in you, drawing you closer to Him and all He designed you to be.
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Cor 5:17
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that
which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
Finally, Ladies, remember that while God prescribes change, He, the Lord of all, does not ever change. His Word endures forever; His promises stand true; and He is the unchanging Rock upon which we can build an eternal future. I pray you will make a personal change if you have not already and commit your life to these enduring truths that will guide you forever through this ever-changing world until one day we reach the perfect Heaven.
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should
change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken,
and will he not fulfill it? Numbers 23:19
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
God Bless you today and always! And don't forget to change the batteries in your smoke detector!
