By Toni Ford
According to society (and to be honest, my body as well, LOL), this was a “big” year for me in regard to my birthday.
I turned 60 years old this year, for which I am thankful and ever so grateful for the gift of life. My family decided to give me a party, inviting friends and co-workers from my previous years of working in different places. It was a very nice party and one that I will treasure for many years to come. I saw friends who have been in my life for over 30 years and friends from different periods of my life. All of those friends have held and still do hold a special place in my heart. I truly am blessed to have each one of those persons in my life and to whom I can call my friend.
One morning of the week of the party, I started thinking about the “big” year and how people remained in my life as friends, even when walking through difficult times or when we both changed locations or maybe even when our personalities and likes or dislikes shifted a bit over time. I’m sure we all had friends that we “lost” or walked out of their lives over time, friends who we thought would remain in our lives forever.
Yet, as a result of “life,” they are no longer in our lives. But to have a friend who will walk through the hurdles of life and the challenges we face as individuals and still remain a faithful friend is definitely a gift and a blessing that not many people are able to experience and appreciate.
This thought led me to thinking of our Lord, who never changes. Regardless of how I respond or do not respond to Him and regardless of how much I change, God never changes. He is the same God that He was to Adam when He created him in the Garden of Eden. He is the same God he was to Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, the Disciples and Paul. The God back then remains our God to this day!
I was stopped at a red light when these thoughts came flooding to my mind. Tears started flowing as I was overwhelmed thinking about the goodness and faithfulness of our God. Later that day, I opened my Bible and read about the promises of our God and His faithfulness. Here are just a few of those Scriptures.
I encourage you to read them aloud as I did that day, letting His Words soak down deep in your heart and soul while realizing that God loves you just as much as He loved Adam from the beginning.
Knowing that although everyone in our life here on earth changes, and even we ourselves change over time, our God will never change. He is steady, consistent, enduring and unwavering, and we can trust Him unlike anything else in our lives. God is the one and only source we can count on that will never change.
In a world of chaos and out of control, it is assuring to know there is that there is One I can count on now and forevermore!
* Hebrews 13:8. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
*Deuteronomy 31:8. “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
* Malachi 3:6. “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”
* Isaiah 40:8. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”
* James 1:17. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
* Jeremiah 31:3. “The Lord appeared to him from far away: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you.’”
* Psalm 102:27. “But you are the same, and your years have no end.”
* Lamentations 3:22. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.”
* Romans 8:28. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Thank you, Lord, for being the One we can always count on, for the promises of Your Word and for remaining the same yesterday, today and forever!
If you would like continued prayer, feel free to email me at tonif77@gmail.com. I would love to pray for you!