The God Who Does Not Change

This Christmas break we decided to spontaneously redecorate our living room in some big, and small ways. One of my favorite pieces s sitting on our piano. James 1:17 has always been a verse I have loved and have brought to my mind so often throughout the past few years.

Now that it is on my piano, I smile at it every time I walk by while looking at the pictures of my cute kids on the wall (all while trying to pretend like the piles of laundry and clutter calling my name doesn’t exist in all other rooms of the house).

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.”

As I have been reading through the account of Genesis and the gospel of Mark in conjunction the past week, the unchanging nature of the Lord has been proven again and again to me.

How amazing to read the account of creation, to hear of the  words which created every intricacy of the stars, the sun, the moon, and proclaimed them good. Then to have those words be echoed again as Jesus was baptized, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:11

How incredible to read as God purposefully questions Cain, “Why are you angry?”  knowing He is well aware of the answer and the state of his heart. Then to read again-thousands of years later that with the same purpose and authority-Jesus repeatedly questioning the Pharisees, trying to expose the sin in their own hearts.

How sobering to read about Gods anger towards the people in the world before the flood- to see that it “grieved him to his heart” and then read once again in Mark 3:5 Jesus’s response to the people’s unbelief- “..he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart.”

And oh what hope it gives to see the restoration God gives to Noah and his family, and the covenant that is made between them, and to look and see the final completion of that restoration in Jesus!

The disciples in the midst of the storm still didn’t get it completely- as they asked of Jesus, “Teacher do you not care that we are perishing?” – Mark 4:38. Of course He did- because He is the same God He was thousands of years before. He cared, but in a much larger way than their growing faith (and mine!) realized.

How wonderful it is that our God does not change like shifting shadows. He remains good throughout the good, as well as through trouble. With the same power and authority he spoke to make the world, He powerfully speaks His promises to us through the Bible. With the same purpose he questioned the Pharisees, he purposefully questions my heart- chipping away at the hardness to give me a heart of flesh.  With the same anger and hatred he looks at the sin in my own heart, but with the same sweet mercy He promises to forgive and restore my soul each day. I rejoice for an unchanging God, where I can see proof of who He is throughout the pages of the Bible, so I can be encouraged of who He still remains today.

Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”