Tag: trustworthy

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, love, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Some Things Don’t Change

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For I am the Lord, I do not change” Malachi 3:6a

At the church where I get to serve, we have our team meeting (aka staff meeting) on Tuesday mornings at nine.  It is a time for us to get together and plan and chat—and invariably we do a lot of chatting.  While the topics are always varied…it often goes to the “you’ve got the be kidding me” world we are living in.  That usually includes a variety of culture shockers.

I recently was going through some files on my computer and discovered something I had written way back in 2008.  As proof that some things never change, what we talked about at the staff meeting that week was the price of gas.  I was surprised to remember that gas that week was…get ready…$3.47 per gallon.

Here we are 15 years later and while it is not $3.47 it is close…very close.  If it makes you feel better, I own two Volkswagen cars that use diesel, and it is $4.29 per gallon.  And to think…diesel is made from the leftovers that make gas.  Hmmm. All this is more ironic because I remember (I can’t believe I’m old enough to finally say that) when gas was 32 cents per gallon, and I filled up my Volkswagen for $2.42. Oh, and when there was a “gas war” on you could pick it up for 18 cents per gallon. Ah, those were the days.  At any rate, just like the price of gas seems to change daily so are the days of our lives.

That’s one good thing about God—He simply doesn’t change.  He never had a beginning and will never have an end (despite what our liberal “friends” think) and throughout all that time, He has never changed.  Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore, you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”  That’s good news for the reason stated in the verse—He won’t change His mind about me or you. Pretty awesome.

Because of a constant supply of cultural “stranger than life” things, our whole economy, well, our whole country, is in a flux. It seems like there is nothing solid to stand on…but there is…and it is a He…creator God.  For many He may be out of vogue or out of style.  For some He might seem like wishful thinking but for others…well He is the one thing solid to stand on in these shifting sand days.

In the movie “Hidden Figures” some of the smartest people in the nation and the space program were trying to figure the right numbers to get John Glenn up and down safely.  They couldn’t seem to invent a new math that would work and finally someone said, “Maybe it isn’t new math, maybe it is old math.”  And, sure enough, they used an ancient formula and it worked.  They rediscovered that the truth about numbers doesn’t change.  That is one reason why maybe, just maybe it is time to go back to what worked for eons…faith in God.

The Bible…the oldest and most tested of any sacred writing, says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”   And do you know what?  That is simply true. Someone said a real friend never changes and that is so true of Jesus Christ.   He will be there no matter what and I like that.  James Taylor, a songwriter, and singer from the 70’s wrote, “winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call and I will be there.” Well, I can’t verify that for James, but I can for God.  Go ahead and give Him a try. You will find that He is all that He says He is, and you will also find that no matter what…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Guess Who Moved?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

It was a late October morning that I noticed it again.  Sometimes I like to go and sit on our patio early in the morning.  Sometimes I beat the sunup and sometimes it beats me.  On this particular morning, it was just peeking over the horizon.  From where I sat, it was perfectly centered between two houses that sit east of my house.  As always, it did a great job as it brought warmth to the earth and light to a new day.  It is well.  It is well indeed. The sunrise always reminds me that all of this is God’s.  Each new day is His day.  He is the owner, and I am but a steward.

Now fast forward about two or three weeks.  I was out again on the patio…just a bit later than the other time and then I noticed it.  The sunrise had moved considerably south.  Now, instead of between the two houses, the sun was way on the other side.  It was then that I thought it…and maybe said it, “My the sun has sure moved further south.”  I even called my wife over and pointed out this fact to her.  How amazing.  How incorrect.

You see, in fact, the sun hadn’t moved at all.  If you remember from your school days, we all learned that the earth is not the center of the universe…the sun is.  So, in fact, the sun had not moved but rather the earth had changed its “tilt.”  As the earth’s northern hemisphere tilts further from the sun, cooler temperatures come and fall becomes winter. The daylight of the days grow shorter and the sunrise and sunset slowly but surely shift.  But the thing to remember is that the sun doesn’t change…we do.

Well, turns out the sun has a lot in common with the Son and the Father…and the Holy Spirit for that matter.  You see, God is steadfast, immovable and the times when it seems like He is further away…well guess what?  He isn’t the one who moves.  It is us.  There is an old story about an elderly couple that was riding in their older pickup truck.  The woman said to her husband who was driving, “Do you remember when we used to sit side-by-side when we would ride together.?  The old gentleman behind the wheel, gently reminded her, “Wonder who moved?”  Who.Moved.

You see, the truth is if we feel further from God than we used to it is us and not Him who has moved. He says in His Word that He will never leave or forsake us. He is like the North Star…the one thing we can count on in these uncertain times and in this uncertain world.  He is dependable, trustworthy, and rock solid.  Today, if you are feeling abandoned…you are not.  Today, if you were feeling alone…you are not.  Today if you feel like no one cares…you are wrong.  There is someone and while some simply call Him God…I like to call Him my Dearest Daddy…because that is what He is. Abba Father.

So today, take a moment and notice all the moveable things—sunrises and sunsets, the leaves as the wind blows through the tree, a falling star that burns in the atmosphere or circumstances that change around us.  And then, think about this.  It is one of those amazing verses in the Bible that is nice and short…easy to believe and easy to memorize. It says, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” Dependable. trustworthy. Rock solid.  And, because He is all of that and so much more, we can rest in the calm assurance that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne