When Change Knocks on Your Door…
“I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” Malachi 3:6
Knock, knock, knock…An unwanted visitor known as “Change” recently knocked on the door of my life, and I had to answer. And, it hit me like a ton of bricks– The news…unexpected, life-altering. The kind that “knocks the wind out of you” and makes your heart just ache as you wonder…”What is going to happen next”?
Have you been there? One minute in the comfort zone of the normal routine, enjoying life, and thinking that things will always be the same. Then, a phone call, a message, a conversation–that moment when life suddenly gets interrupted, and things are no longer as they once were.
No matter whether the change is positive or negative, it always involves adjustment…Maybe you too can identify. Throughout life, one page will turn, one chapter will close, and another one will begin. It’s not a matter of “if”, it’s a matter of “when”… So, how should we respond to change when it decides to “come for a visit” and shake things up?
1. Run to the ONE who never changes and know that HE is the only constant in this life.
Malachi 3:6a states this encouraging truth about God: “For I the Lord do not change.” “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). How comforting to know that when inevitable change occurs, God never will. He is our firm foundation when all else is shaken. We can open our hearts before Him, take comfort in His Word, and hold on to His unchanging promises.
2. Realize that beautiful things can be birthed from change, as painful as it may be.
One example is the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly. In order to survive and have strong wings, a caterpillar must endure this process of struggling its way out of the cocoon. Spiritually speaking, God allows us to go through a transformation in order to experience the necessary growth that will prepare us for the plans He has ordained for our lives. If the caterpillar didn’t go through the process, it would never become a new creation. God can create beautiful things in our lives through our own personal and spiritual transformation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
3. God can work good out of every situation whether the change that occurs is exciting or traumatic.
He can use it to stretch us outside of the familiar in order to stretch our faith and to deepen our dependence on Him. The biblical character Joseph was first rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery, and imprisoned before God promoted him as second in command to Pharaoh. Genesis 50:20 states that although the enemy meant evil against Joseph, God in His sovereignty, turned everything for good, and in the process shaped Joseph’s character. And, David was first a shepherd boy before he was anointed king of Israel. God can miraculously use our past as training ground for our future, and He can change our locations, our job titles, and any number of things to place us where He wants us to be in order to fulfill His Kingdom purposes. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes.” Romans 8:28
Final thoughts:
Embrace the transition, knowing that Almighty God is walking with you into the future He has planned for your life and that nothing catches Him by surprise.
When circumstances shift causing challenges, heartbreak, a time of transition, or all of the above, we can rest in God, who never changes. As we walk through the seasons of life, we can be at peace knowing that even challenging changes can be the catalyst that the Sovereign Lord uses to birth miraculous breakthrough in our lives. May this encourage us to hold our arms open wide in full surrender to God trusting Him as one chapter in our lives may be closing and another chapter may be beginning. God is the Alpha and the Omega (the beginning and the end), and He is also omniscient (all-knowing). As the Author of the story, He recognizes everything we face. This truth should motivate us to put the pens down to our own lives (our own control) and trust Him completely with every outcome that we face in the script. Whether you have already opened the door to “Change” or awaiting the inevitable knock, you can rest assured that God is already there. Embrace the transition, knowing that Almighty God is walking with you into the future He has planned for your life and that nothing catches Him by surprise.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
