Saturday, January 03, 2009

New Mercies


"Forward, forward let us range,/ Let the great world spin for ever down the ringing grooves of change.” –Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “Locksley Hall”


God doesn’t change.

Anyone who has ever glanced at a catechism knows this is true, but how often do we think of what it means? We change all the time—for good or evil. He never does.

At the dawn of a New Year, I’ve got a lot on my plate. I’ll bet you do, too. Life is charging full speed ahead into another season, another adventure, and another set of changes. In the face of an ever uncertain future and diary pages yet-to-be-filled, I find it comforting to remember His unchangingness. No matter what happens, God’s promises remain.

Will He be with us this coming year? “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever…” (John 14:16) The Holy Spirit won’t depart us in 2009.

What if our economy falls into another Great Depression? “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27) Even if the economy takes a record nose-dive, He remains consistent.

What if we lose friendships or loved ones this year? “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you….Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” (John 14:18-20) He is the One we can never lose.

What if we feel like we’ve blown it with our sinfulness? What if we fear, in our heart of hearts, that God will give up on us?

I love what Charles Spurgeon said on the subject: “Think not, O poor downcast child of God, because the scars of thine old sins have marred thy beauty, that He loves thee less because of that blemish. O no! He loved thee when He foreknew thy sin; He loved thee with the knowledge of what the aggregate of thy wickedness would be; and He does not love thee less now.”

The God who keeps my tears in a bottle won’t forget my name. The God who held me yesterday holds my tomorrows.

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning..." (Lamentations 3:22-23) Will He be with us this year?

We have His Word on it.