The Lord has been so faithful to see me through so many changes. He works on my heart and my mind and draws me close to Him as He conforms me in the image of His Son. This past year has been one of pruning and growing. Also a time of just being still and learning of Him through His Word and with more time with Him.
I've enjoyed a terrific study of God's Word with the text being primarily from Exodus. The Bible teacher made a statement about God that I've been reflecting upon even since. She said,"God's character is unchanging but His works (His activity) is unpredictable." This reminded me of the Children in Narnia asking the Beaver husband and wife about Aslan. They asked if he was safe. The Beavers replied with something like-He is not safe, but He is kind. This is a description of our Lord. God is unpredictable. He will not be put into a box that we can predict His works. Yet, God is kind.
For the Christian, this statement, "God's character is unchanging but His works are unpredictable" or as the Beavers said-"He is not safe, but he is kind" gives peace for we serve and love God Who is unchanging. Everything we learn about Him from His Word, is the same forever. God is not "safe" but He is kind. God is unpredictable in His Works, but He is unchanging in His character.
God's Word tells us that He is unchanging. His Word tells us He is always kind, always faithful, always merciful, always righteous. As we read God's Word we learn that God's lovingkindness is without end. The Bible also tells us that God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. It also tells us that God is eternal and Creator of all. Everything we see and cannot see, God created. The Laws of the universe are His for He is the Author of it all.
Knowing these things about Him, about God's unchanging character, helps us through the unpredictable times of life. Times when we face small challenges or big obstacles. Times when life is utterly chaotic and times when life is peaceful. God never changes but He uses many unpredictable ways to draw us to Him in lovingkindness.
And with Christmas upon us, we celebrate the remembrance of Jesus' birth. The Son of God come to die as the Son of Man, in our place. Jesus' love for His creation was (and is) evident in His finished work on the cross at Calvary. He led the perfect life to offer the perfect sacrifice so that we wouldn't have to pay for the wages of our lives (the wages of sin is death) without Him. This is the Good News that was preached. It was Good News to the Israelites, because they fully understood their lack of fulfilling the Law of God. We have forgotten that we fall short without Christ. All our "good works" outside of Christ, is as filthy rags. We can do nothing to earn God's favor. It is only accepting Jesus death in our place and His resurrection as our hope for eternal life with Him that we are justified in God's eyes. We must repent of our sin (our falling short of God's Law---think of the Ten Commandments...have you kept each one without fail ALL your life?) believe on Jesus for His finished work and walk in the new life He offers.
More on this later...for now, Merry Christmas!
