Wednesday, February 7, 2024
"For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
God, YHWH, is the great "I AM"! [1] He is from everlasting to everlasting. [2] Because God is permanent, dependable, and faithful, we can trust Him. We can rely on His promises. Psalm 46 says it this way:
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.. . .The Lord of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. [3]
Our world is ever-changing. Pandemics, natural disasters, economic instability, and personal problems cloud our horizons. They are part of our world in decay that "is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are." [4] We can't control the brokenness around us. We can't fix the mess. We can't undo the fracturing.
So, what can we depend upon in a world of change and decay? The Lord, YHWH, "the God of Israel," is also our Abba Father. [5] He will not leave us or forsake us. [6] He invites us to speak to Him with our words. He also promises to hear the inarticulate groanings of our hearts. [7] We may not understand what is happening to us, around us, and in us, but we can speak to God openly and honestly about our struggles, as the book of Job reminds us.
Why is this important? Bad things happen in our world, and hurtful things occur in our relationships. Few people make it through life without being forsaken, betrayed, abused, or abandoned by someone. Our vulnerability in an ever-changing world is one reason why God the Father sent Jesus the Son to be Immanuel, God with us. [8] Jesus knows what it is like to live in our world of change, pain, and brokenness. He knows, not just because He is God Who knows all things, but also because He has been here as one of us. Our Father is more than the unshakeable, almighty God. He also knows what it is like to be mortal, vulnerable, and one of us, just as the Hebrews writer tells us:
Because God's children are human beings — made of flesh and blood — the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.. . .So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. [9]
God is our one relationship that will not fail, no matter what any of our outward circumstances suggest. So, let us go to Him and know He is with us!
Abba Father, I come to You, and I am not sure how to put into words what I need to say. I trust the Holy Spirit to intercede for me now "with groanings that cannot be expressed in words" as He "pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will." [A] You know my heart, dear Father, and that even though I cannot understand all that is going on around me, I trust that You are my Rock and my ever-faithful and ever-trustworthy God who has proved Your dependability, power, and deliverance since time on earth began. I place my life and my future in Your hands through Jesus. Amen.
Together in Christ is a daily devotional that focuses on what Scripture teaches about godly living in relationships.
'Together in Christ' is written by Phil Ware.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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