Change

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.", He has promised: "I will never leave you nor forsake you".






Change. Some folks love it, and some don’t. Some folks like it to come slowly, and some like to come quickly. It’s been said that the more things change the more they stay the same. Also, its been said that the only thing constant is change. When I was a young “buck” in high school I used to be amused at old people (now I am one) who didn’t seem to like change. I was always a young man who liked new stuff and new things, so this was a curious thing to me. As I grew older, I still liked new things but also realized that there are some things that really didn’t need to be improved on because the concepts or ideas had already evolved over a long period and I found that these things were better left alone.

Whether you are a follower of Jesus Christ or not, you live in a world, which is constantly changing in its physical aspects, as well as relational aspects. Cultures and generations come and go and each likes to “make its mark” on the world before it leaves. In our present climate of economic downturn and social dissatisfaction (unrest), there are many today that are afflicted either physically or emotionally. For these people, change (hopefully for the better), cannot come fast enough. Then there are those in our culture who are among the more comfortable who don’t want to see things change or want slower change. Do you want to know something interesting? The human existence on this planet has always been characterized by the cohabitation of those who are afflicted to varying degrees and those who are comfortable to varying degrees. Even a cursory look back into man’s history reveals this aspect of human nature.

The Holy Bible is chocked full of writings explaining man’s experience in dealing with the changing nature of his existence. Specifically, and more importantly, many parts of the Bible explain and address the saga of individuals and nations trying to deal with their climates of change (socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually) with and without the inclusion of Almighty God. Through the telling of historical narratives and the recordings of beautiful life experience-inspired poetry and songs, etc., the Bible weaves an immense mosaic-like portrait that displays and describes the why and how of the human existence and its response and character when dealing with change.

Let’s bring this issue close to home. Each of us begins to change from the day we were born. We change at varying rates physically, emotionally, and even spiritually each day, although the change might not be perceived since it is a somewhat of a slow progression and we have limited ability to detect it at times. The bottom line is, we will all change until our time on earth is over. Ok, so are you ready for some good news?

If you are a Christian today, you are the child of the most high Almighty God of creation. He is The Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. He has steered you and me through our lives of change from before the time we were born and brought us through periods of immense pain, as well as periods of happiness. He will continue to do that, since He is the rock that is never moved by change. He is the anchor for your life and mine today and forever. His Word promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He has never broken a promise and never will. He loves all of us beyond our comprehension. What a wonderful Lord is our God. He is a God of creation, new creation, re-creation, and transformation.

If you are not a Christian today, or not sure that you are, God loves you no matter where you are or what you have done. His main desire for you is to be restored into a right relationship with Him so He can be your God, your Lord, your guide, and your friend. Do you have a problem grasping the truth in this? John 3:16 says it simply and plainly:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

We see in this simple statement that Jesus made, that God loves everyone in the world so much that He sent His only Son to die, so that if anyone believes in Him, they will have new life that will be everlasting in nature (starting today). This new life will result in a change in who you are and who and what you are living for. This new change in your heart might be a small at first but the more you grow and live in Faith, the more the change will transform your life. Does this frighten you? Change is always a step toward the unknown isn’t it? In this case, however you are not stepping into a realm of unknown change. As you read the Bible more and more, especially the Gospels, you will understand that it isn’t a step into the unknown at all, really. The Christian life is a step into a life that is described in beautiful detail in the Bible. To initiate this new life changing experience, all that is required is a simple expression to God that you are willing to completely and sincerely “believe in His Son” and the truth surrounding His death as payment for your sin (rebellion), turn (repent) from your past ways, and in so doing, ask him to forgive you. Then God will do what He has promised to do. He will forgive you of your sins and accept you into His family of believers and begin to transform your life into something you would have never thought possible; a life of meaning and stability in the midst of a changing world.

In Isaiah 43, God speaks these words :
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

This Scripture from Isaiah records the words God spoke to His prophet, telling Him that He is getting ready to change things. This is just one small example of God’s divine and holy nature to change and transform for the better all things. How applicable they are to all of us today. God deeply desires for each of us to be transformed into all we were meant to be, so that He receives the glory and pleasure in seeing each of us be all we can be, just like an earthly father enjoys seeing their children succeed. May the Holy Spirit be upon you today to make this decision to follow Jesus Christ, if you are not a Christian, and to grow in love and devotion to Christ if you are.

Blessings!
George