Change

By Eli Shaw

We all know about change. It affects every part of our world and every part of our lives. From conception to our final breath, our bodies and minds are changing. We experience change as we go through school, when we begin a new job, and when we become parents and grandparents. In fact, there are so many ways that our lives change that it would be nearly impossible to write them all down! We’ve heard the word many times, yet it often brings with it so many different thoughts and emotions.

We’re certainly dealing with a lot of change as a result of our present situation with COVID-19. So much of our lives have changed as a result. The ways we live and work and the routines that we’re used to have all changed. The closing of schools has changed the way that our children learn and the way that teachers care for their students. The closing of restaurants and other establishments have changed the way we eat and the way workers receive their income. The closing of churches has changed the way we hear God’s Word, receive His gifts, and grow together as a community of faith. Now we’ve been given the order to shelter in place which changes our lives even more drastically. These are but a few examples of how our lives have changed significantly over the course of just a few weeks.

Much of these changes have led many people to fear and panic. Many of us wonder what will happen in the future as we anticipate the possibility of even more change. It’s hard to tell because our knowledge of the virus changes each day. We trust that our leaders are doing everything they can to combat the virus and keep us safe. It is especially during times like these that we need something or someone to hold onto who doesn’t change, whose message is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We need something certain that can give us hope and peace amidst the fear and anxiety in the world because of all this change.

“We need a solid Rock upon which we can stand. That Rock is Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We need a solid Rock upon which we can stand. That Rock is Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanks be to God that we can confidently place our trust in Him as everything else around us seems to be uncertain. This is because Jesus and His love for us never change. God’s Word says that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Even though everything else seems to be changing around you, our Lord and His love for you remain the same.

Christ has already shown you the greatest love possible by paying the penalty for your sin with His own life on the cross. Jesus Himself said this in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay own his life for his friends.” It’s a good thing that His love doesn’t change because in Him we receive the greatest love imaginable!

“Believe it or not, Jesus is greater than this virus! He has overcome all things through His death and resurrection and has promised that we will overcome them too.”

Jesus loved you to the fullest extent by suffering and dying for you. And He continues to show the same love for you today. For death could not hold him; He arose and conquered sin, death, and the power of the devil. He has already conquered the fear, panic, and anxiety we see in the world as a result of this virus. Believe it or not, Jesus is greater than this virus! He has overcome all things through His death and resurrection and has promised that we will overcome them too. Our Lord’s words to His disciples in John 16:33 are His words to us during this time of intense change and uncertainty: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus has overcome this virus and everything it brings with it. Christ’s words give us certainty, comfort, peace, and hope during these times of trouble. His words are for you during this time when so much of your life has changed and may continue to change as well. We can be certain of God’s love for us in Jesus because His Word and promises are tried and true. For God says this to us in His Word, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

So, in whatever change we go through, we can hold fast to our Lord and His Word, confident that they cannot be changed or broken. Thanks be to God for the assurance and peace that He gives us in Jesus to withstand times like these. May God bless you as you take comfort from His Word and continue to remain steadfast under trial, trusting in the Lord’s goodness and mercy to sustain you all your days as you await the crown of life. The Lord be with you!