Our great and almighty God is unchanging in character, power, and authority (cf. Mal. 3:6). He is steadfast in His loyal, covenant-love (Psa. 100:5; 117:2; Lam. 3:22-24). Our Lord is immovable in His precepts. What He has established will not be shaken. His Word will endure forever (Isa. 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25). His sovereign plan for His Church will never be thwarted.
And we, the adopted heirs according to the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus, can trust Him today. When everything is being shaken around us in our culture, country, and world economics, you and I can step forward with hope and courage because we know the almighty, unchangeable God is with us – surrounding us wherever we go.
In Psalm 125:1-2, a song of ascents, we find beautiful imagery from ancient Jerusalem that captures this idea:
“Those who trust in the LORD are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, from this time forth and forever.”
A historical view of Jerusalem…
So when the news media inundates us with uncertainties, when family issues don’t resolve, when job struggles continue, when financial needs don’t disappear, when fear starts to rise: trust in the Lord who is always with you, surrounding you with His unstoppable love and care and truth.
As I was writing this morning, my 3-year-old daughter, Everlynn, crawled up on my lap, looked up into my eyes with a curious smile, and asked, “What is surrounding?…what does surrounding mean, Papa?” (She had apparently heard me reading aloud to Hudson a few moments before). Rather than launch into an etymological refrain from Webster’s dictionary, I simply gave her a big hug and said, “This is what surrounding means, Everlynn, my arms are surrounding you.” Her eyes sparkled with understanding. She knew what Papa’s arms around her meant: protection, care, love, and provision.
Maybe you need to remember today that God is – right now – surrounding you. He is holding you with arms of love that will never grow tired. His opinion of you will never change because His opinion about His Son will never change, and you are in the Son (see Ephesians 1:3-14). Comfort and refuge are found in the One who is always with His people, from today and on into eternity. He will never change. You can count on it.
Yet the irony of this weekend is that our clocks have to change. Well, I suppose we could rebel against whoever makes these Daylight Savings decisions, but what’s one person against 300 million? Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. So I’ll remember that God and His divine agenda will never change. I’ll remember there will one day be no longer any need for Daylight Savings clock changes, because:
“…there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; they [we] will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5).
Alas, I will spring my clocks forward before I hit the sack tonight. Ha! I’m certain that our ABFs and other classes at North Park Baptist Church will have gallons of hot coffee available “bright and early” to help soften the internal adjustment. See you tomorrow morning!
