November 2020  by Sheologie

Unchanging God in an Ever-Changing World

You’ve heard the phrase change is inevitable. And it really is. Just think about it: How many outfits do you usually try on before heading out the door? How many lane changes do you typically make driving over the course of a day? It’s inevitable.

Have you ever been in Walmart or Target and decided you didn’t want something, so you sort of snuck it onto a shelf where it didn’t belong? Let’s just say it happens. I admit I’ve done that kind of shenanigan before.

Things in life change and will continue to change. But there is one thing that will never change—the one constant in the universe now and forever—and that is God.

In Malachi 3:6, God said, “I am the LORD, I do not change.” The unchanging nature of God can be summed up in the word immutability. Immutability is part of God’s divine essence. It means He does not evolve or devolve; He remains the same. He never gains a new attribute or loses an attribute He already has. And the attributes He has can never become greater or less than what they’ve always been. He will never be more wise, more powerful, more holy, or more sovereign than He is. He is all those things perfectly and infinitely, and He doesn’t change.

The Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). God is the same God today that He was 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 years ago. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, He didn’t become any less God in His abilities. He can still perform miracles and mend broken hearts. He hasn’t aged a single day.

And do you know what? His love for you never changes. He created you and has a plan for your life, and it’s not like one of your husband’s odd jobs that get stuck in the garage or banished to the backyard. His job is on target and will be finished. He “will perfect”—or complete—”that which concerns [you]” (Psalm 138:8). That gives me such hope. He’s not done with me yet; He’s still working.

In Psalm 102, the psalmist wrote, “In time of old You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing You will change them and they will pass away. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end” (vv. 25-27, NASB).

Have you ever been in a situation that made you question if God had changed? Have you ever wondered, If God is a God of love, then why this? You know you have. We all have. That’s how we are as human beings. But the Bible is so clear when it comes to God’s immutability. Psalm 90 says, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (v. 2). Take heart today that your God is immutable. Nothing you face in this life will ever change who He is and the love He has for you.