“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”—Hebrews 13:8(NIV).
If we need a reminder of the changes that have occurred in our world, we only need to study history. One can also read newspaper headlines or listen to the daily news. Nothing stays the same. If it did, there would be no news to report.
A recent post on Facebook reminded me of how times have changed since I was born and maybe since your birth. The list was long, but here are a few of the mindboggling changes mentioned:
- Did you think in 1998 that three years later, you would never take pictures on film again? With today’s smart phones, who even has a camera these days? While I still do, I take more photos with my iPhone than with a camera.
- In 2018 the first self-driving cars appeared on the road. Talk about changes.
- Technology has invaded our world creating unimaginable changes in every area of our lives. If you’re old enough, you can recall a world before color television, computers, microwave ovens, and computerized medicine.
I will have my second knee replacement later this month. Four years ago, I had the first one done. During that time span, technology has brought improvements to the procedure, and my upcoming surgery will involve the use of a robotic device.
Changes Bring Improvement to Our Lives, Sometimes
While technology and other advancements bring changes to our lives, many—including me—sometimes complain about the negative effects of these innovations. Don’t get me wrong. I love the technological advancements that make our lives better, and sometimes easier.
It’s when we allow them to take over our lives, as in spending too much time on social media, that I consider the negative side effects of change. Or when people use social media to stir up trouble. I think we can get into enough trouble on our own.
Trouble follows us when we choose the wrong path. For example, study the life of King David. When he sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba, that choice led to change and consequences for which King David had to pay the price, including the death of his son.
Paying the Price of Our Disobedience
King David wasn’t the only one in scripture who had to pay the price of disobedience. In the very first book of the Bible, we read of the first couple. They were living in paradise until they disobeyed God’s command to refrain from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was not on the approved menu list.
How many others in scripture paid the price for disobeying God? How many of us have paid that same price? Because of our sinful nature, we all fall short of the glory of God.
But God’s only Son made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. Our refusal to obey our Heavenly Father led to what some would describe as the most horrific death in human history.
Jesus Paid the Ultimate Price
While Jesus paid the price for mankind’s sins, we still don’t measure up. We’re sinful creatures and the only One who can save us is Him. It requires us to confess our sin—to repent and turn from our disobedient ways.
Christian author and apologist David Hunt once said, “That the Father and Son would love sinners that much is beyond our comprehension–but it ought to awaken a response of love and gratitude within our hearts that will change our lives forever!”
God’s Word never changes. His Son is the same yesterday and today and forever. For us to embrace His steady presence, we need to surrender fully to the change He wants to do in us. When we do, we can cling to His robe, knowing He will never leave us nor forsake us. Isn’t that the best news you’ve ever heard?
