Change is Inevitable, but God is Unchanging
Change in life is inevitable.
Most likely, no one disagrees with that statement. Yet many people are taken off guard when a change out of their control occurs.
As a pastor, I hear countless people’s stories; whether I’m sitting across the table listening to someone share a high and low, reading prayer requests submitted through our website, or talking with people in conversation, there is a common denominator.
Change is typically a surprising but predictable loss of control.
Here are a few examples:
- Person 1 just had their fourth baby. Change.
- Person 2 was just let go from their job. Change.
- Person 3 just received a cancer diagnosis. Change.
- Person 4 has a business that is growing rapidly. Change.
- Person 5 just retired from their career as a truck driver. Change.
- Person 6 just tragically lost their twenty-seven-year-old son. Change.
There are many more stories representing situations in people’s lives that I could list, but one thing is clear. Every person is either dealing with a current change or heading toward the next one.
If you’re anything like me, I generally like change when I’m in control of it. When I’m not, change feels like pain.
Change feels like the end, but it’s just an end.
Uncontrollable change is uncomfortable. Instead of trying to avoid it, prepare for it.
Hold on to the unchangeable while walking through change.
Here are five unchangeable characteristics of God to hold on to when navigating change.
1) The Lord is my rock.
A rock is big, dirty, and unimpressive. But a rock, like a cornerstone, is immovable.
In the Psalms, David used the metaphor of a rock to describe the Lord. He spent countless days hiding in caves as his enemies pursued him. Just like he found a place of safety in the clefts of a rock, he found refuge in the Lord.
The Lord is an unchangeable rock when you’re in uncertainty and chaos.
2) The Lord is my shield.
A shield is a form of protection in battle. Criticisms and conflict can feel like arrows flying at you, but the Lord can protect you.
How? Resting in the truth that he loves you. He is for you, not against you, and invites you to trust him, regardless of what others say.
When you’re in a battle, the Lord is an unchangeable shield.
3) The Lord is my Shepherd.
The lyrics of the hymn, “Come Thou Fount,” capture our sheep-like features.
“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.”
I can relate to Peter when he tried to convince Jesus that he would never betray him. Only days later did he deny that he ever knew him. May we look to the Good Shepherd and say, “Lead me, O Lord, and have your way.”
When you get off track, the Lord is an unchangeable Shepherd.
4) The Lord is a light in the darkness.
The psalmist writes, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).
It’s easiest to get lost at night. Darkness can be a challenging environment to navigate direction.
Coming out of painful change can feel like darkness which is the exact time to look to the Word of God.
When you need direction, the Lord is an unchangeable light.
5) The Lord rescues me from deep waters.
Deep waters feel like an overwhelming impossibility.
Kelly and I visited the beautiful Lake Tahoe in Nevada a few years ago. We toured the lake from one of the boat excursions, which gave us stunning views and interesting information. With a lake surface area of 191 square miles, a maximum depth of over 1600 feet, and water temperatures averaging 50º F all year round, I would not want to be stuck in the middle of those deep waters alone at night.
Change contains emotions like being too tired, busy, sad, or frustrated. In those moments, hold on to the Lord.
When you are overwhelmed, the Lord is an unchangeable Rescuer.
“He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters” Psalm 18:16.
God isn’t a doctrine to talk about but a Person to know.
He is our rock and shield. He is the good Shepherd who lights up the darkness, and rescues us from deep waters.