Winds of Change

Descendants of Jacob, I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I never change. (Malachi 3:6 CEV)

There appear to be only three constants in this world that can be described as firm, fixed, steady, and faithfully consistent: God, His Word, and change are the three I’m noticing.

Besides God, everything all around us is in a state of change. The street I grew up on looks different than when I was a child. My physical appearance keeps changing the older I get—no matter what I try to do to stop it.

Some changes in our world take place so slowly that you don’t notice the changes happening in real time, like the slow decay of an Egyptian pyramid. Other changes occur suddenly—like an unforeseen tornado changing the landscape.

Your seacoast will be changed into pastureland and sheep pens. (Zephaniah 2:6)

In 2007, I experienced a whirlwind of dramatic change. The changes were positive, but they made my head spin.

In a nutshell, I was living in my hometown as a single guy in an apartment, working in a completely different line of work than what I do today. One year later, I was in a new city, working in a new career, newly married, and living in a freshly built house.

What an exciting period of change!

Recently, I hit some unwanted yet unavoidable changes with my parents—both are octogenarians and experiencing the changes that come with aging.

Last Friday, my family visited my parents after a special event. My mom looked great and was in good shape for her age. We immediately drove back home—a five-hour trip that can make situations complicated, as I quickly experienced.

The following evening, we received a call from my parents’ next-door neighbor, informing us that mom had fallen and broken her leg.

Now, she faces many unwelcome changes, including a recovery from surgery and three weeks of physical therapy.

Her accident also changed my life—I’ll stay at my parent’s home for the next few weeks to help my dad and mom get through this tough time. I’ll be away from my wife, the kids, and the dog.

I already miss them.

We don’t always know when changes are coming. But we know that change is an inevitable part of God’s plan.

Some people experience more change in life than others. However, we all face one extremely significant change at the end of our lives—the death of our physical body and the transition of our spiritual body.

As surely as there are physical bodies, there are spiritual bodies. And our physical bodies will be changed into spiritual bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:44)

Prayer for Today: Dear heavenly Father—thank You for Your Word that says You never change. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever, and we praise You for that. We know we can turn to You when surprising changes come—harsh and unwelcome changes included. Thank You for Your love, grace, and compassion that sustain us through all forms of change. Please help us not to be too rigid when changes come. We ask Your Spirit to enable us to bend but not break when the winds of change blow through us. Amen.   

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Scripture is quoted from the Contemporary English Version®Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.