Steady Your Soul: Clinging to God in Change and Trialনমুনা

Firm Foundation

Read 2 Corinthians 1:18–22

Stand Firm in Truth

My neighbors cut down several massive trees that lined both their driveway and the road and every time I drive past, my eyes are drawn to the strange expanse of sky that once was hidden behind their winding branches. It’s just like that time I got bangs (a mistake, as always), and for days they were all I could think about. My temples ached with their unusual presence.

Change often steals our focus. The sudden lack of the old or presence of the new draws our attention over and over. Like an errant tongue after a dental procedure, our thoughts keep heading back to the change, and we feel untethered by it. How did this new thing come about and suddenly set everything about me adrift?

This constant awareness is uncomfortable. In the face of change, I change into a totally chaotic person. I’m flustered and frightened and frantic because my focus is centered directly on me. I want to be dependable and unflappable. I want to be the source of my own security. I want to be the anchor in the waves. But of course, I’m the opposite of all these things.

The apostle Paul was no stranger to change, especially when it came to his travel plans. A change in travel itinerary is the context for 2 Corinthians 1:18–22. Paul reminds the Corinthians that despite his inability to visit them when they expected, they can depend on the Sovereignty of their Unchangeable God.

First, Paul reminds them to focus on the faithfulness of God (v. 18). God's attributes never change because He never changes. He is always Limitless, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Wise, Loving, Holy, and so much more. And this Unchanging God is always present in your life. No matter what monumental or mundane changes happen in your life today, God will not change. No matter how you respond to those changes, God will not change. He is always Faithful to His Character, to His people, and to His Promises.

In verse 20, Paul reminds the Corinthians to focus on their position in Christ. If you are in Christ, not only do you experience God's Faithfulness in the form of His Steadfast Love, but all the Promises of God are Yes to you in Jesus Christ. There is no question if these Promises apply to you if you are in Christ. His Life, Death, and Resurrection fulfilled God’s Prophecies and also purchased your access to God's Promises. If the changes in your life look bleak or feel like a door slammed shut in your face, remember: God is always saying Yes to you in Jesus Christ.

But if we are to experience God’s Yes in Jesus, we must be secure in Jesus. Read verses 21–22 again: "And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." Established, anointed, sealed, guaranteed. These are unchangeable things. They aren't dependent upon us. God is the One who establishes us in Christ, and it is the Spirit in our hearts that serves as a Guarantee.

God knew that we would need His Indwelling Spirit in our hearts. Because left to our own devices and faced with the uncertain, ever-changing circumstances of this broken world, we don’t remember the Faithfulness of God or the Promises that are Yes in Jesus Christ.

It is the Holy Spirit that helps us cling to this firm foundation. He teaches our hearts to hold firmly to the truth of the Bible. He reminds us of the Work of our Savior on our behalf. He reveals God through His Word. The Spirit uses all our changing circumstances to change us into women who are steadfast—not in our unflappable self-assuredness, but in our Steadfast Savior.

But even on the days when you fail to put your faith in God’s Promises, He is still Faithful. You aren't adrift in a sea of the unfamiliar. Everything hasn’t changed. It's just that your focus has been drawn away from the Anchor of your soul. Next time you feel lost in the waves of transition, focusing on your ever-shifting circumstances, fix your eyes on your Unchangeable God. Then, as you trust in God’s Unchanging Promises, you will be changed. God may have one thousand intricate and indecipherable reasons for bringing change into your life, but one of those reasons is always to change you.

Hold Fast to Hope

What Promise of God do you tend to doubt when faced with change? What Truth from today’s devotional helps you put your faith in God’s Promises?

If you really believe this Truth, how does it change your attitude right now? Make a plan to ask yourself this question multiple times today.