Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
It is a beautiful day. Looking up, the colorful castle gleams in the sunlight. Even Disney couldn’t create a mosaic masterpiece such as this! The bus takes us up the extremely steep incline to the top for our tour of the Palácio Nacional da Pena, near Lisbon, Portugal. As they say, what goes up must come down. After the informative tour of this illustrious castle with all of its glorious history, I climb aboard the bus for the ride down. It’s standing room only and the steep descent is filled with bumps and jolts. I hang on for dear life to the dangling strap above my head, hoping I won’t fall into the person in front of me. But as I bend my knees and go with the flow, I realize that the jarring sensation is absorbed and the impact is lessened. When I let go of my fear and annoyance, I actually enjoy the thrill of the ride to the bottom of the hill.
Life is like that sometimes. While it infrequently can be a smooth ride, life often entails lots of bumps and jolts along the way. Not only is the path not certain and calm, it is usually wildly unpredictable and the fear of what is around the next bend can sometimes paralyze us. Often life vacillates between joy and suffering. The road is never the same as it bends and twists through life. Change is definitely the name of the game.
With over 16 months of pandemic life under our belts, there are still changes to navigate. As schools, businesses, stores, and restaurants open up, there are still a myriad of rules to follow which seem to change daily, as they have for the past year.
Perhaps you’ve gotten in a rhythm during the pandemic and now things are changing again. Or perhaps you never felt like there was any consistency in the first place and the last 16 months have been a constant upheaval. Or maybe life has changed due to other circumstances beyond your control and you struggle to find your footing.
Our key verse today is one that brings to mind a solid rock to cling to in times of change. Yet, this verse has come to mean even more than that to me.
When we interpret our key verse in context, Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus is the same as He was from the beginning of time (see John 1:1*). That is, He is God. He always has been God and always will be God. The early readers of this text as Jewish Christians needed encouragement as new converts to believe in Jesus as God.
While the original context was to equate Jesus with God, we often interpret this verse to mean that Jesus is the Rock that never changes. But while His character, nature, and purposes do not change over time and throughout eternity, how He manifests Himself in our lives does indeed change as we grow to know Him better and love Him more.
As life morphs and transforms, often throwing us curve balls, God’s presence with us becomes exactly what we need when we need it. In the process, our faith changes too, often growing deeper in times of adversity so that we glimpse new facets of God’s character and learn to lean more into our relationship with Him. That God shifts to meet us where we are is antithetical to the idea of a rock that never changes. But His presence does indeed transform into what we need. Verses like Philippians 4:19 which says “God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” confirm this truth. God abundantly provides us many spiritual blessings, including His love, grace, strength, comfort, and wisdom.
God meets our needs while He molds our character into who we need to be. And oftentimes, it’s the fires of adversity that burn the dross to refine us, to shape us as the Potter shapes the clay.
But sometimes we chafe under the adversity and we rebel against the circumstances that seek to change us. If we can step back, grab hold of the hand of God reaching down, bend our knees, and go with the flow, we will grasp the exhilarating ride with the God who is with us in all the changes of life.
Lord Jesus, You are God. While I think of You as my Rock, I know that is not a perfect analogy. Rocks sometimes slide down mountains and tumble into oceans. While I know You are with me in the rough and tumble of life, I may not hear Your voice in the rumbling of tumbling rocks as much as I feel it in the whisper of the thin silence as rising dust plumes skyward in the aftermath. Yet You are Immanuel, God with us, and not just in a holy place called heaven, but You are thankfully here with me on this constantly changing earthly path called life. Amen.
*John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Text and photograph copyright © 2021 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Palácio Nacional da Pena, near Lisbon, Portugal.
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A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE: Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
It is a beautiful day. Looking up, the colorful castle gleams in the sunlight. Even Disney couldn’t create a mosaic masterpiece such as this! The bus takes us up the extremely steep incline to the top for our tour of the Palácio Nacional da Pena, near Lisbon, Portugal. As they say, what goes up must come down. After the informative tour of this illustrious castle with all of its glorious history, I climb aboard the bus for the ride down. It’s standing room only and the steep descent is filled with bumps and jolts. I hang on for dear life to the dangling strap above my head, hoping I won’t fall into the person in front of me. But as I bend my knees and go with the flow, I realize that the jarring sensation is absorbed and the impact is lessened. When I let go of my fear and annoyance, I actually enjoy the thrill of the ride to the bottom of the hill.
Life is like that sometimes. While it infrequently can be a smooth ride, life often entails lots of bumps and jolts along the way. Not only is the path not certain and calm, it is usually wildly unpredictable and the fear of what is around the next bend can sometimes paralyze us. Often life vacillates between joy and suffering. The road is never the same as it bends and twists through life. Change is definitely the name of the game.
With over 16 months of pandemic life under our belts, there are still changes to navigate. As schools, businesses, stores, and restaurants open up, there are still a myriad of rules to follow which seem to change daily, as they have for the past year.
Perhaps you’ve gotten in a rhythm during the pandemic and now things are changing again. Or perhaps you never felt like there was any consistency in the first place and the last 16 months have been a constant upheaval. Or maybe life has changed due to other circumstances beyond your control and you struggle to find your footing.
Our key verse today is one that brings to mind a solid rock to cling to in times of change. Yet, this verse has come to mean even more than that to me.
When we interpret our key verse in context, Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus is the same as He was from the beginning of time (see John 1:1*). That is, He is God. He always has been God and always will be God. The early readers of this text as Jewish Christians needed encouragement as new converts to believe in Jesus as God.
While the original context was to equate Jesus with God, we often interpret this verse to mean that Jesus is the Rock that never changes. But while His character, nature, and purposes do not change over time and throughout eternity, how He manifests Himself in our lives does indeed change as we grow to know Him better and love Him more.
As life morphs and transforms, often throwing us curve balls, God’s presence with us becomes exactly what we need when we need it. In the process, our faith changes too, often growing deeper in times of adversity so that we glimpse new facets of God’s character and learn to lean more into our relationship with Him. That God shifts to meet us where we are is antithetical to the idea of a rock that never changes. But His presence does indeed transform into what we need. Verses like Philippians 4:19 which says “God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” confirm this truth. God abundantly provides us many spiritual blessings, including His love, grace, strength, comfort, and wisdom.
God meets our needs while He molds our character into who we need to be. And oftentimes, it’s the fires of adversity that burn the dross to refine us, to shape us as the Potter shapes the clay.
But sometimes we chafe under the adversity and we rebel against the circumstances that seek to change us. If we can step back, grab hold of the hand of God reaching down, bend our knees, and go with the flow, we will grasp the exhilarating ride with the God who is with us in all the changes of life.
Lord Jesus, You are God. While I think of You as my Rock, I know that is not a perfect analogy. Rocks sometimes slide down mountains and tumble into oceans. While I know You are with me in the rough and tumble of life, I may not hear Your voice in the rumbling of tumbling rocks as much as I feel it in the whisper of the thin silence as rising dust plumes skyward in the aftermath. Yet You are Immanuel, God with us, and not just in a holy place called heaven, but You are thankfully here with me on this constantly changing earthly path called life. Amen.
*John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Text and photograph copyright © 2021 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Palácio Nacional da Pena, near Lisbon, Portugal.
Not a subscriber to the monthly blog posts? Click here to subscribe.
A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE: Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice. Click here to learn more.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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