Hold To God's Unchanging Hand
This week, I'd like to talk about the unchanging nature of God, in contrast with our rapidly changing, and even declining, society. There is a beautiful old song called "Hold To God's Unchanging Hand" and I'd like to share the first verse..."Time is filled with swift transition, naught of earth unmoved can stand. Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God's unchanging hand."
The only thing that remains the same, and will continue to remain the same, is the nature and love of God. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 8 tells us..."Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever." In Psalm 90:4 we are told..."For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." Things around us may change, but God will never change. James tells us that with God, there is "no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Let's think about this...not only will God never change, there is nothing about His divine nature that will even allow for a shadow of turning.
As we watch our society fall into ruin, and the values that it was founded upon are forgotten, left to the ages, the one thing that we can continue to hold onto, and cling to, is the unchanging love of God. We cannot allow the moral and ethical decay that we are forced to endure on a daily basis to shift our focus from the fact that our God is still in control. We are told in Ecclesiastes 1:9 that "there is no new thing under the sun", meaning that the evil that we bear witness to is the same evil that has plagued humanity from the beginning. Same devil, different tactics. Now, we have the internet, social media, television, so many things to steal our focus and so many avenues for evil to enter into our thoughts and minds. Political correctness has permeated the fabric of our society, like a cancer, and has spread the decay of conformity in the minds of formerly God-fearing people. Those who once spoke the truth in love now fear the repercussions that the truth brings, and so silence becomes their veil. We, as God's people, need to reclaim our boldness. Ecclesiastes 1:11 tells us that "there is no remembrance of former things." Just as in days of old, people are quick to forget the values that they were taught. Our nation was founded on Godly principles, and ethical values, and it seems as though now, there is no remembrance of these things. Families are torn apart, and corruption is at every turn.
The second verse of our song says..."Trust in Him who will not leave you, whatsoever years may bring. If by earthly friends forsaken, still more closely to Him cling." As much as it may hurt us, we must come to terms with the fact that friends and even family can turn their backs on us. Our consolation comes in the knowledge that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. His stability should give us strength. This is the very meaning of leaning on Jesus. Though we are weak, He is strong. We should rely on God with a blind faith, because we are unable to see the bigger picture. God is there, working behind the scenes, ensuring that His will is carried out. As we are told in Romans 8:28, "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
Sometimes, we do not understand the reasoning behind the things that happen. When we are in pain, or we see unspeakable evil done to the innocent, we, as human beings, cannot fathom the reasons behind these things. We've all heard the phrase, "why would God allow such a thing to happen?" Much of the evil that occurs in this world is due to the fact that God has endowed us with free will, and evil is simply the choice that many people make, but we must rest in the fact that God is ultimately in control. As we are told in Isaiah 55:9 that God's ways are "higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." We cannot understand, because we have a limited view. God created this world, He holds it in His hand, it is His to do with as He wills, and He knows what is best. Another thought provoking question that we hear is, "why are these people who are living in sin having such an easy time of things, and they never seem to have any troubles?" Satan is powerful, he is called the Prince of this world, and he has a lot of control over situations as well as people. The devil has the ability to make things very easy for people, if he chooses to. We know that Satan hates us, so why would he do this? Simply put, a lot of people will never turn to God as long as they don't have any problems. The devil holds many people right where he wants them simply by keeping them in a cushy situation. He has the ability to fulfill earthly desires, and for many people, this is enough. There are many examples in the bible of people who needed trouble or tragedy in order to push them into the outstretched arms of God. We must learn to rely on God's love and provision in good times as well as bad, knowing that He always has our best interest at heart. Sometimes, seemingly tragic situations are timed perfectly in order to avoid greater tragedy. Sometimes, as an example, we may be running late, and become stressed, lose our patience and our peace, never realizing that, had we not been late, we would have had an accident which may have taken our life or the life of someone else. It is this blind faith in the all-encompassing love and care of God which we must meditate upon and nourish in our minds. If we believe in our hearts that God is truly in control, we should not allow the situations which we find ourselves in to cause us distress. Not only should these day to day troubles not be able to overwhelm us, we should ultimately have peace in knowing that Jesus has paid the price for our sins, and that we can look forward to a home in heaven with Him when this life is over. As the final verse of our song says..."When your journey is completed, if to God you have been true, fair and bright the home in glory your enraptured soul will view. Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God's unchanging hand."
As we watch our society fall into ruin, and the values that it was founded upon are forgotten, left to the ages, the one thing that we can continue to hold onto, and cling to, is the unchanging love of God. We cannot allow the moral and ethical decay that we are forced to endure on a daily basis to shift our focus from the fact that our God is still in control. We are told in Ecclesiastes 1:9 that "there is no new thing under the sun", meaning that the evil that we bear witness to is the same evil that has plagued humanity from the beginning. Same devil, different tactics. Now, we have the internet, social media, television, so many things to steal our focus and so many avenues for evil to enter into our thoughts and minds. Political correctness has permeated the fabric of our society, like a cancer, and has spread the decay of conformity in the minds of formerly God-fearing people. Those who once spoke the truth in love now fear the repercussions that the truth brings, and so silence becomes their veil. We, as God's people, need to reclaim our boldness. Ecclesiastes 1:11 tells us that "there is no remembrance of former things." Just as in days of old, people are quick to forget the values that they were taught. Our nation was founded on Godly principles, and ethical values, and it seems as though now, there is no remembrance of these things. Families are torn apart, and corruption is at every turn.
The second verse of our song says..."Trust in Him who will not leave you, whatsoever years may bring. If by earthly friends forsaken, still more closely to Him cling." As much as it may hurt us, we must come to terms with the fact that friends and even family can turn their backs on us. Our consolation comes in the knowledge that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. His stability should give us strength. This is the very meaning of leaning on Jesus. Though we are weak, He is strong. We should rely on God with a blind faith, because we are unable to see the bigger picture. God is there, working behind the scenes, ensuring that His will is carried out. As we are told in Romans 8:28, "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
Sometimes, we do not understand the reasoning behind the things that happen. When we are in pain, or we see unspeakable evil done to the innocent, we, as human beings, cannot fathom the reasons behind these things. We've all heard the phrase, "why would God allow such a thing to happen?" Much of the evil that occurs in this world is due to the fact that God has endowed us with free will, and evil is simply the choice that many people make, but we must rest in the fact that God is ultimately in control. As we are told in Isaiah 55:9 that God's ways are "higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." We cannot understand, because we have a limited view. God created this world, He holds it in His hand, it is His to do with as He wills, and He knows what is best. Another thought provoking question that we hear is, "why are these people who are living in sin having such an easy time of things, and they never seem to have any troubles?" Satan is powerful, he is called the Prince of this world, and he has a lot of control over situations as well as people. The devil has the ability to make things very easy for people, if he chooses to. We know that Satan hates us, so why would he do this? Simply put, a lot of people will never turn to God as long as they don't have any problems. The devil holds many people right where he wants them simply by keeping them in a cushy situation. He has the ability to fulfill earthly desires, and for many people, this is enough. There are many examples in the bible of people who needed trouble or tragedy in order to push them into the outstretched arms of God. We must learn to rely on God's love and provision in good times as well as bad, knowing that He always has our best interest at heart. Sometimes, seemingly tragic situations are timed perfectly in order to avoid greater tragedy. Sometimes, as an example, we may be running late, and become stressed, lose our patience and our peace, never realizing that, had we not been late, we would have had an accident which may have taken our life or the life of someone else. It is this blind faith in the all-encompassing love and care of God which we must meditate upon and nourish in our minds. If we believe in our hearts that God is truly in control, we should not allow the situations which we find ourselves in to cause us distress. Not only should these day to day troubles not be able to overwhelm us, we should ultimately have peace in knowing that Jesus has paid the price for our sins, and that we can look forward to a home in heaven with Him when this life is over. As the final verse of our song says..."When your journey is completed, if to God you have been true, fair and bright the home in glory your enraptured soul will view. Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God's unchanging hand."
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