Since we are creatures of habit and familiarity, most people would rather not have a lot of changes in their lives. That is particularly true of me! However, changes are inevitable. Life brings them. God allows them. They give us opportunities to trust Him more.
My ministry is going through changes and so am I. As of June 30, after 35 years of pastoring, I will no longer be a pastor at Main Street Baptist Church in Doylestown (June 26 will be my final Sunday and sermon). That brings big changes in responsibility as well as income. A few weeks after that the church will leave its building, change its name, and look for a new location and ministry impact. I don’t know what the future will hold for our World View camps without this building, that is up to God. I’m not even sure about my India ministry. I must renew my Visa to India this summer and many pastors and Christian workers are now being denied Visas, or entry into the country even if they have a valid Visa. My youngest son is moving out of state this May to pursue his future. My youngest daughter has a fine career and a serious relationship and is moving ahead quickly in both. Nancy’s work status at the hospital has gone from full time to part time, and may drop even more this summer.
We’d like to eventually move to a warmer climate where we can be near our children and grandchildren. We want to be able to help them now and have it convenient for them to help us when we need it in the future. However with six children living in various parts of the country, and most not settled in a permanent location, it’s hard to know exactly where that place may be.
Somehow I thought retirement meant settling down, downsizing life’s activities and responsibilities, having life in order and living a predictable, semi-boring life. Why God has so many changes for us all at once, in virtually every area of life, I do not know. He is totally silent about my future. Clearly He is behind everything. All this happening within a few months is far beyond coincidence.
Changes. We can’t avoid them. They give us a chance to apply what God has taught us in the past to new situations in the future. They stretch us. They are part of God’s process to make us more like Jesus. They are inevitable. Life is full of changes.
The only thing that does not change is God Himself. He is “Hua,” “the God Who does not change. In Psalm 102:25-27 we read: “In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.” God never changes. Because He is always the same, we can face whatever changes come our way.
We can face change because the One Who never changes is always with us. Are you going through changes in your life? Don’t focus on the changes, keep your eyes on the God Who never changes. (Doylestown, PA, February 23, 2015)
Malachi 3:6 6 “I the Lord do not change.
Numbers 23:19 God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
What changes are taking place in your life now? Rest your faith in the God Who does not change to help you through them. Thank Him for the opportunities He gives you to fest on His unchanging love and care.