“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
As I write, the exact hour my youngest daughter was born thirteen years ago is approaching. I wonder how time has flown by so fast, even though some seasons seem to creep by so slowly. Change is a funny thing. We anticipate, dread, embrace, and avoid it. Personally, I have mixed feelings about change. I anticipate these milestone celebrations. The sweet blue-eyed beauty who completed our family is officially a teenager. Without her tiny stomping feet and little begging voice, my husband might never have caved to adding our sweet golden-doodle puppy to our entourage. God knows exactly what He’s doing when He places us in our pockets of time. I dread the change from our long summer days at the water park to shuttling back and forth to activities and responsibilities. I embrace all the changes God is working out in her big heart and kind spirit and look forward to her conquering every dream she sets her mind to. She’s determined and boundless. But I want to avoid the change which will ultimately force me to let her leave my constant presence and move into the world as God wills her.
When I became a mom, I anticipated a lot of change. But the most amazing shift was the change in my faith. Nothing compared to the way my heart felt compelled to honor God by the way I raised my girls. Forced to my knees in prayer, I became more reliant on Him than ever before. Truly, motherhood taught me how powerless I am and how powerful prayer is. Trusting God became as important as sleep, water, and food. My time with Him grew as my babies matured. He’s still adding notes and bars to the tune of our lives, and I am thrilled we’ve danced to His feet together and they on their own. In a world constantly changing, God does not.
The hardest season of change my family has endured began with my oldest daughter’s diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. The last couple of years has been filled with big emotions and immersed in change. She had to swap the way she’d lived in her body for thirteen years for a completely new way of life. As my youngest daughter turns over the same milestone age today, I can’t help but notice how the last two years have matured them both rapidly. Thirteen and fifteen. As everything has shifted, we have learned to hold onto Hebrews 13:8:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Without realizing how much we have clung to this verse; it has most definitely become etched on our hearts. The NIV Study Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same. A confession of the changelessness of Christ.” T1D permanently changed my daughter’s life, and we’ve journeyed alongside her. Not understanding how she feels but aching all the same with her. My youngest has watched her hero fight a battle and grown to admire her even more than before. Fierce and protective, her big heart would clock anyone to the ground who hurt her big sis. They’ve grown together the way only God could orchestrate.
Permanent means existing perpetually; everlasting, especially without significant change (dictionary.com). Synonyms for permanent include: durable, enduring, long-lasting, stable, everlasting, invariable, set, changeless, continual, fixed, forever, imperishable, indestructible, persistent, steadfast, unchanging, and unfading (thesaurus.com). Jesus is permanent. Scripture tells us to keep our eyes fixed on Him, the Author and Perfector of our faith. Why? Because He is permanent …changeless, persistent, steadfast, unchanging, unfading, imperishable, indestructible, enduring, invariable, continual …forever. Psalm 46:10 reads:
“Be still, and know that I am God!”
Generally, people are not still. Whether things are going good, bad, or indifferent, stillness isn’t something most of us include in our natural skillset. Especially in the age of social media and the personal computers we carry around in our back pockets. Stillness is a learned discipline applicable in our prayer lives and parenting, friendships, and educational process. There are times we throw our hands up in the air and feel helpless …because to a certain degree, we are. Only God has the power to straighten us up and drag us through some of the things we endure on this side of heaven. Psalm 32:8 reads:
“The LORD says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’”
He walks with us through all of it. Every piece of change, whether welcomed or dreaded. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and always. He loves us for who we are …yesterday, today, and always. God knit us in our mother’s womb, Scripture says. There is no one who knows us better than He. Listen to what He says about who we are:
- Amazing, Psalm 139:14
- Capable, Mark 10:27
- Chosen, 1 Thes. 1:4
- Never Alone, Matthew 28:20
- Always Loved, Romans 8:39, Jeremiah 31:3
- Beautiful, Ecc. 3:11
- Victorious, Romans 8:37
- Enough, 2 Cor. 12:9
- Created, Genesis 1:31
- Chosen, John 15:116
- A Child of God, Romans 8:17
- Redeemed, Galatians 3:13
- A New Creation, 2 Corinthians 5:17
- Forgiven, 1 John 1:9
- Accepted, Romans 15:7
- Precious, Isaiah 43:4
- Strong, Isaiah 40:31, Phil 4:13
- Unique, Psalm 139:13
- Created for a Purpose, Jeremiah 29:11
- Treasured, Deuteronomy 14:2
- Special, Ephesians 2:10
- Important, 1 Peter 2:9
- Empowered, Philippians 4:13
- Protected Psalm 121:3
Remembering I am not alone, never alone, gives me great comfort as my family navigates the changing landscape Type 1 Diabetes has brought with it. It’s a permanent change. Though we know God can cure her immediately and miraculously, we understand it may not happen this side of heaven. Being OK with either isn’t easy. Thirteen years ago, as I held my second little girl in my arms for the first time. “Her eyes are literally twinkling!” I proclaimed. The brightest, bluest, sparkling eyes I had ever seen. God surely does know exactly what He’s doing when He places us so purposefully with each other on this earth. The brushstrokes of His love are evident in every single one of us, and all He has created. But the way He weaves those sparkling attributes together is incredible. His timeliness, compassion, empathy, and mercy are unmatched. Motherhood has given me the perspective to see life mature right before my eyes in my daughters. Loving them has taught me how much more God loves them …and me. In a world riddled with change, one thing will always remain the same: God.
Jesus is the same. Yesterday. Today. Always.
I hope you take comfort in Him as I do, knowing He is a permanent fixture in my heart. Our faithful friend and Savior. Daily, He walks with us. Through the impossible seasons, He leads us minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day. His patience is unmatched. His peace is able to permeate. Remember who He is and what He says about you. Hold onto the hope we have in Him through all the changes.
Let’s pray:
Jesus, we cannot imagine navigating life without Your permanence in it. Thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross. Thank You for connecting us to God and bringing everything alive in our lives. Continue to shift our perspective and mature our faith. Teach us how to walk through change in a way that brings glory to God and draws people to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Additional Reading: “Who Does God Say I Am?”
Click to Read/Watch Episode 3.
Photo Credit: @SWN Design
Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ at megbucher.com. She is the author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,” “Home, Finding Our Identity in Christ,” and "Sent, Faith in Motion." Meg earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University but stepped out of the business world to stay home and raise her two daughters …which led her to pursue her writing passion. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the editorial team at Salem Web Network. Meg loves being involved in her community and local church, leads Bible study, and serves as a youth leader for teen girls.