March 3, 2004
Encouragement for Today
God Never Changes
Sharon Jaynes, Vice President of Proverbs 31 Ministries, author, speaker
Key Verse:
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).
Devotion:
My husband, Steve, became a Christian in High School and has never wavered from his strong faith in Christ. He was never a rebellious sort as a child, but just a good ol', all-American kid. As an adult, he has been a model citizen and exemplary Christian. I guess you might say he is the male version of Snow White.
One problem that Steve does have, along with every other man, is understanding the mysteries of the internal working of that fascinating creature called…woman. To top it all off, the poor fellow has seven female employees (translation: 7 sets of hormones and 7 sets of PMS). They are all wonderful Christians, but women none-the-less.
As I listened to his stories about the seven women, and sensed his frustration in trying to figure them out, I kept getting this picture in my mind of "Dr. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." If you remember, the dwarfs' names were Doc, Bashful, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey, and Grumpy. I decided what he needed to do was to make name tags of the seven dwarfs and put them in a basket. Each morning, when the women came in the office, they could reach in the basket and get out a name tag which expressed how they were feeling on that particular day. That way it would take the guess work out, and Steve would know how to respond to each lady on any given day.
Of course, at the end of each day, he would have to collect the name tags, put them back into the basket, and bring them home so I could pick out which dwarf I was on that day. Poor men! We women do make it hard.
As I think about how our emotions can flit back and forth on any given day, I am reassured that we serve a God that never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). The Bible is full of different names for God that describe for us unchangeable characteristics of His nature. He is Jehovah-jireh, the Lord that provides; Jehovah-rapha, the Lord that heals; Jehovah-shalom, the Lord our peace; Jehovah-shammah, the Lord Who is there. God can change anything He wants to change, but remains unchanged in Himself. HE is our Rock that is without deviation.
2002 was a year of transition for me. I changed positions at Proverbs 31 Ministries, my son packed up to go away to college, my thyroid went out of control and had to be purposely destroyed with radioactive iodide, the grocery store quit carrying my favorite coffee, and Revlon discontinued my eyeliner that I’d been using for ten years. Like a little girl who had lost her best friend, I whined, “Doesn’t anything ever stay the same? Isn’t there one thing I can count on being the same tomorrow as it is today!”
Then I heard that gentle whisper I’ve grown to love, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10).
My prayer for today:
Dear Lord, as the world swirls around me, ever changing, ever causing me to readjust, thank you that You remain the same. Thank you that You are the one constant in my life – the North Star that guides my compass and gives me direction as the world and my life spin on its axis.
Application Steps:
Think of all the things that have changed in your life over the past year.
Make a list of the ways that you’ve seen God remain the same through the changes.
How does God’s unchanging nature give you hope in a changing world?
Reflection Points:
When Moses asked God His name, God answered, “I AM” (Exodus 3:13). What does the name “I AM” say to you about the nature and character of God?
How would you like to memorize half of a psalm in the next sixty seconds? Want to give it a try? Turn to Psalm 136. After each sentence, there is an echo, “His love endures forever.” Just say that sentence twenty-six times and you’ve quoted half of the psalm! David begins by reminding us that God created the world, led the captives out of Egypt and through the desert, and conquered the enemies of the Israelites so they could move into the Promised Land. While He works in many varied ways and with many different people, one thing remains the same – “His love endures forever!” He never changes.
You might want to try your hand at writing your own version of Psalm 136, adding “His love endures forever” after each major event in your life.
Power Verses:
Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” (NIV)
I Samuel 2:2 "There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” (NIV)
2 Samuel 22:2, 3 “He said: `The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation.’” (NIV)
Psalm 18:30-36 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.” (NIV)
This story was adapted from “Dr. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” taken from At Home with God: Stories of Life, Love and Laughter by Sharon Jaynes
Additional Resources:
At Home with God by Sharon Jaynes
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/athome.html
Ultimate Makeover by Sharon Jaynes
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/makeover.html
Who Holds the Key to Your Heart by Lysa TerKeurst
http://www.gospelcom.net/p31/resources/key.html