ALWAYS THE SAME

Lamentations 5:19 “But Lord, you remain the same forever. Your throne continues from generation to generation.”

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the place that I had spent my childhood. I have great memories of that part of my life. It was rural area with lots of fun places for kids to roam. I had great friends. We hung out all summer playing baseball and basketball. It was a great place to be a kid. However, I returned some 15 years after leaving as a teenager. I wanted to go by and see some of the places that were significant to me as a child. First, I went by my old middle school. But, to my surprise, it wasn’t there. The land was now used for a parking lot. Then, I went to see my old high school. Again, I was shocked to see the sign out front to no longer say Cambridge High School, but instead, Cambridge YMCA. I couldn’t believe it. Finally, I thought I’d go check out the five acres that we used to live on. I especially wanted to see the old pond that I used to fish in all summer long. But, the land had been sold. New buildings had been erected and the pond had been filled-in to create more space. The realization of time passing and the inevitable change that it brings stung a little bit.

Have any of the following changed on you lately - your family, your bank account, your address, your last name, your money, or your job? If they haven’t, be certain, that something will change. Change is one of the most powerful forces out there and probably one of the most resisted. Most people would prefer things to stay the same.

Everything and everyone else that you know is subject to change. Change is a constant in life. However; God is not subject to change. God has a characteristic that no one else has. It is his immutability. No matter what, God doesn’t change.

In Lamentations, Jeremiah cries out to an unchanging God. He expresses great concern about the ruins of the temple. It was a great calamity. He is praying for mercy and grace. The people ask, “Are not the Lord's judgments in the earth the same as in Jeremiah's days?” Surely, he was tempted by the events around them to turn his heart from God, but he remembers the mighty works of God in past days.

I have, too, been tempted like the people of Judah. I have looked at current circumstance and seemingly forgotten God’s proven work and mercy. But, if I look back upon the countless blessings of God that have so powerfully changed my life, then I must believe the old saying, “If he has done it before, He will do it again!” Why? Because God doesn’t change.

In the moments that try us the most, let us refrain from despondency. Despair prompts our focus to shift, which, in turn, delineates our view point from the only one who can make a difference. Commit to put your whole trust in a God that, unlike everything and everyone else, never changes.