Living With Change

"Today's Devotion" For February 22, 2005

Read: James 1:12-18
Psalm 102

LIVING WITH CHANGE

"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6)

We live in a world that believes change is a good thing. In some circles, it seems that change, just for the sake of change, is considered to be progress. Leaders who embrace change are considered at the top of the heap. Businesses, organizations, and even churches see change as inevitable and essential to growth and development. The bookstores and internet malls are filled with self-help books, tapes, and videos intent on leading people to "sea" changes in their lives so they can be more cutting-edge and achieve greater success. It's not unusual for politicians to tell the nation that changes need to take place in our social and legal systems, the most recent being Social Security which is causing no end of debate, point and counterpoint. Why, we even spend every four years deciding if we like the direction the nation is going or if we need a change in leadership to move us a different way. Changing our minds because we have doubts about earlier decisions seems to be inevitable.

I don't know about you, but I'm not always a big fan of change. Sometimes change scares me. Over the years, I'm certain that each of us can recognize how we've changed and are different persons from who and what we were in our youth, or when we first got married, or when we had our first child, or when we first experienced ill health, retirement, and a myriad of other changes that have taken place in our lives. The problem with living with change is that change often surprises us--what changes isn't necessarily what we hope for. The only thing we can be certain about with change is that it's going to occur, whether for good or ill, whether we're ready for it or not. Living with the "change and decay in all around I see," as the hymn writer says in a line from the hymn, "Abide With Me," is the inevitable result of the nature of Sin in the world.

Unfortunately, the change that's had the most effect on the world was the Fall into Sin in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. That event forever changed the relationship between human beings and their Creator. The loss of that relationship has plagued humanity ever since. Only the constancy of the grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness of God has never failed or changed. His promise to send a Savior to redeem us from Sin, remained constant and certain throughout history. While civilizations rose and fell, people lived and died, and the struggle between Satan and God continued, God's promise of salvation and His constant grace and mercy never wavered or failed. As the Apostle James writes, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).

God never changes. In a world full of turmoil, hatred, frustration, economic schizophrenia, terrorism, injustice, war, and any of a number of maladies that affect human existence, He is the one sure and certain constant Who brings hope and peace to our lives. From the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed Him and all of Creation was plunged into the continuing nightmare of Sin and unbelief, God's promise to redeem us and change us back into the creatures He intended us to be has been sure, certain, and unfailing. Throughout history God continued to remind humanity of His promised redemption. In Jesus Christ He finally brought that redemption to fruition--and through it He changed the world. In Christ we have been restored to God. He who is unchanging has changed us so that we might again know Him as our Father and have the certain hope of life with Him forever. In the end, because God has changed us in Christ, we're able to "endure" the temptations and changes that occur around us each day, confident that He who never changes will, by His grace, give us the "crown of life" (James 1:12).

Prayer: Father, as I face the ever changing face of the world around me, I'm often left grasping for something constant and certain in my life. Often I find myself clinging to habits and ideas that have been a part of me, whether for good or for ill, because they're familiar. What's also certain, Father, is that many of those habits and ideas pull me farther away from You and Your love for me. Thank Your for having changed me through the washing of Holy Baptism so that I have been restored to You through Jesus Christ. You have changed me so that I might be Your own dear child, and You give me a sure and constant hope and joy in my relationship with You. Help me to live with the certainty of Your love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, so that I might be an agent for change in the world, a true witness to Your unchanging love, grace, mercy and forgiveness to the world. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright © 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.