Each summer, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association runs a series of spiritual growth articles we call the Summer Soul Refresher. This year, we’re taking a look at five aspects of intentional living. This is part 1.
See how our understanding of God’s unchanging character helps set the foundation for a purposeful life.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
—Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)
Whether you thrive on change or deliberately avoid it, there’s no denying our world has shifted over the past six months.
Between canceled plans and new routines, from widespread restrictions to national protests, 2020 is probably not turning out to be the year you thought it would be. With the world morphing before your eyes, what is there to cling to?
If you’re longing to reclaim normalcy—or at least find respite from weariness and frustration—rest in this: God remains constant.
Here are just a few words that describe our God:
God’s character is unchanging no matter what’s going on around you. He’s reliable, He’s a refuge and you can count on Him every moment of the day.
In Malachi 3:6, God Himself explains, “For I the Lord do not change…”
God doesn’t distance Himself from you during a health scare. He doesn’t pick favorites (Romans 2:11). His feelings about you aren’t tied to wavering emotions, and His faithfulness toward you doesn’t depend on the latest headlines. His grace is infinite, His forgiveness unending, His compassion complete.
And He loves you just as you are. No matter what.
>> Disappointed in the way your year is going? The Bible says those who hope in God won’t be disappointed (Isaiah 49:23). Here’s some perspective on His consistent faithfulness to us.
Billy Graham once said, “If we trust in our worry more than we trust God, we are sinning by our lack of faith in God, who has given us the richness of His constant abiding presence for those who put their faith in Him.”
While the world changes, God is steadfast. Putting your faith in Him means trusting Someone who embodies goodness and knows your every need. You can move into the days ahead with purpose, secure in the fact that God is always there for you. He’s your solid foundation.
This summer, cling to the One unswayed by change, the all-powerful God who stands firm through the storms. With Him, there’s no need to dwell on the past or fear what’s to come.
If you find yourself doing those things anyway, just flip to the end of the Bible for a quick reminder:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).
Refresh Your Soul
Consider one way God is constant. (Maybe even pull a word from the video above.) Then share that word—or a related verse—on social media, or in an email, to let others know what it means to you!
