“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (The Message)
With our very limited understanding of God, it is difficult for us to understand many things about Him. Our human perspective severely limits our ability to understand the nature of a Creator who is both omnipresent and omniscient. One of the ways of The Father we lack understanding of is His eternally unchanging ways. We live a life of constant change and changing priorities. Marriage, jobs, and kids all play a role in the many changes of our earthly life.
The Holy Scriptures tell us though heaven and earth pass away, the Word of the Lord remains forever. The Apostle John tells us that the Word was there in the beginning, was with God, and was God. Our Father and His Word are inseparable. His Word is the very soul of our Master. The Word is the Creator’s essence, His lifeblood. Therefore, Jehovah’s promises are as eternal and unchangeable as He is. Understanding this is crucial if we are to receive the blessings our loving Heavenly Father wants to bestow upon us.
Because He is the very definition of Truth, the Lord of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is incapable of lying. When we stand on the bedrock of our Eternal King’s promises, we will never be disappointed. The Lord of Host’s promises are as eternal and lasting and dependable as the ocean tides and the heat from the Sun. There is nothing stronger or more secure than the promises the Great I am revealed to us through His Holy Word. He never gets too busy to fulfill His promises, He never forgets His promises, and his promises carry no expiration date. The Master’s promises are never too difficult for Him to fulfill.
Our Creator promised that He would make Israel a sovereign and independent nation again. Despite Adolph Hitler’s nearly successful attempt to kill every Jewish man, woman, and child on this planet and despite the odds against them defeating much better armed Arab countries, what God promised was done. The Jewish people came back together from the four corners of the world, just as The Scriptures predicted. Our Master specializes in the difficult and the impossible. Although it took 2900 years, in 1948, the modern State of Israel was established.
Neither changing circumstances nor unforeseen developments can delay or stop God’s fulfillment of His promises. By understanding the essential character of the Father and by realizing that He never fails to deliver what He promises, we can claim His promises with absolute certainty. He promises to supply all our needs. He promises that He has already mapped out a bright future for us. The Creator promises us that His Holy Spirit will guide our steps and direct our paths. Jehovah promises us eternal life and an eternal presence with Him in paradise if we accept the atoning death of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. The Lord of Hosts promises to return one day, to bring home His lambs, and to judge and punish the wicked. And Our Redeemer promises believers a peace that surpasses all human understanding.
How powerful, how awesome, how complete and how consuming is this peace promised us? Surely this peace was used by His Apostles to endure the imprisonment, the taunting, the whippings, the torture, and eventually the assassination of all but the Apostle John, who died in exile. It was this peace that Stephen had as he was being stoned and saw the Lord sitting in heaven waiting on him. This is a true peace; not promised by man or made by some treaty or another, but an all consuming and all powerful, eternal peace that only our Father can give. It is this same peace that Our Master offers us today. It is free; all we have to do is ask!
It is easy for us, as believers, to lose that peace God wants us to have. The demands of our fast paced and busy lives can conspire to steal away this promise from us. The promise of peace... If it has slipped away from you, pray right now to ask our Lord to restore it. God’s strong, unchanging arms are reaching out to you right now. His unchanging heart is longing for you to ask. Our Father wants to bless us with good things. And what is asked in return? For us to have faith, in Him, and in His eternally unchanging ways. He asks only for faith, love, and obedience. A believer can stand with unshakable faith on the Kings promises for a bright future.
Copyright 2007 Timothy E. Davis