You step out into the warm sunshine, embracing the beginning of summer. You hug your friends and look at pictures from when you were young. You swing the tassel from one side to the other. It’s a beautiful day and a beautiful world.
And then you realize—your childhood is over. You’ve never been in this situation before, and you’re scared of what the future might bring. Suddenly, the world doesn’t seem so beautiful.
Change is Inevitable
Proverbs 16:9 says, “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” We can’t stop our lives moving forward any more than we can stop the changing of the tides. It’s inevitable. Fortunately, it’s just part of God’s great plan for us.
We humans simply can’t decide our futures. Our wisdom takes us nowhere without Christ’s leading, and goodness knows we’d never end up where we thought we would. When it seems like we just can’t handle the life that we’ve been given, it’s always good to slow down and remember that we’re not the ones holding it in place anyway—God is.
Our Unchangeable God
Seasons come and go all the time. And just as the seasons change, we change too. We might think that humans are pretty predictable, but we’re certainly not unchangeable. Our thoughts, feelings, ideas, and interests are constantly flip-flopping beyond our control. But God isn’t like that.
We tend to make God small in our heads, small enough so that we can comprehend him and make ourselves feel big by consequence. But truly, there are many things about God that we won’t ever understand—and one of those things is his immutability. We simply can’t wrap our minds around a God who is the same God he’s been since before creation.
James 1:17 reminds us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting sands.” Our lives are filled with good things from the Father, and they will never stop being filled—because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Find Joy in the Journey
In John 16:33, Jesus tells us, “In this world you will have trouble.” Just because God is always good, and because he is never changing, doesn’t mean that our lives are easy from here on out. Jesus tells us that we will have trials in this life, and they will be difficult to overcome.
However, our lives are still filled with the goodness of our unchanging God. If we choose, we can find beauty in every part of our lives. Having regrets over our lost time is okay—we’re told that there’s a time for us to weep. But when we move on, we must realize that God has never stopped filling our lives with that same beauty he always has and learn to embrace that beauty in a new way.
Jesus never promised us an easy life. But he promised us a Kingdom that’s worth fighting for. “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I will overcome the world.”
Our Futures are Held
You’ve probably heard Jeremiah 29:11— “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” It’s a beautiful verse because it tells us exactly what we need to know about what our futures hold. The Lord clearly states in that verse that he does not plan to harm us, but rather to give us comfort and hope. This doesn’t mean we won’t face trials—it just means that we’re going to come out on the other side and that God will still be holding us.
Our lives might look like a mess right now. You might be confused or anxious. (In fact, you probably are both.) But rest assured that God knows your future, knows every step you will take, and plans to give you hope throughout the entire journey.
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