Never failing
You are faithful and true
Sure as the morning
A new day dawning
You are faithful and true
We sang these beautiful words penned by my sweet friend Ryan Williams this morning at church. I was struck anew by them - although I have sung them hundreds of times.
NEVER changing...
NEVER failing...
Faithful.
What a comfort that is to me today. Seems to me that everything is changing. My kids are changing. My husband is changing. My friends are changing. I am changing.
I always thought I loved change. But as you get older - change carries a whole lot more weight than it did when I was younger. Change affects my comfort. Change affects my security. Change takes everything I THINK I know about my life and future and flips it upside down - inside out - and leaves me wondering what in the world I can count on.
Change very often breeds anxiety. I don't like anxiety. Who does, really? I don't like lying awake at night trying to figure out how it all is going to work out. I don't like worry. I don't like stress. Change seems to bring these feelings into my heart and mind - and I hate it.
But the truth about anxiety -is that it is a symptom of something spiritually out of whack in my heart. For if I TRULY believed that God has a plan for my life; if I TRULY believed that He has my days and minutes and hours beautifully and mercifully ordered; if I TRULY believed that He was FAITHFUL, then there should be no fear in change.
And that was what struck me this morning as I sang. I realized I had lost sight of one very important fact. Not only was God faithful - He is UNABLE to be UNFAITHFUL.
Although I know in my head that He is faithful, I think that sometimes I convince myself that "this time" He has somehow forgotten to take care of me. Or that "this time" He has decided to step off the scene and let me fend for myself for a while. "This time" in "this circumstance" in "this situation" He has chosen to turn His back on my troubles.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
This is fantastic news - because not only is God unchanging; He is good. So when I wonder what the heck is going on in my life, I can rest that my good and faithful Father has it covered. Today, tomorrow, forever. Everytime. Every situation. In every possible way imaginable, He is working on my behalf.
When my anxiety begins to whisper to my heart that He has forgotten about me, I must remind myself that He is UNABLE to forget about me because He has literally carved my name on His hand. (Isaiah 49:16)
So today, I am again reminded that He is...
Faithful.
Today forever.
More than faithful.
My hope... Forever.
