There’s this little treasure spot on Burke Street, heading east, right before you climb the big hill. You may know the spot. I’ve lunched on a bench there a couple of times. It’s beautiful and peaceful, except when cars are passing, so it’s more beautiful than peaceful. Anyway, while sitting there the other day listening to the water run through, it dawned on me that this is the very same water that runs through our property at the foot of North Mountain – the Tuscarora Creek. When I really thought about it, I was like whoa, that’s so cool! That’s a good four or five miles away, as the crow flies. To think that the water that I was looking at in town had traveled through my home place really was amazing to me.
Now, it seems perfectly natural for a creek to run through the countryside, doesn’t it? But for that same water to follow a route of twists and turns and flow right before my eyes in town was a wonder and a comfort to me. It was the exact same – the exact same water at my house and in town. The water before my eyes had traveled from its beginning, and there’s great debate in our neck of the woods of the location of those headwaters, to Burke Street and beyond. Nevertheless, the creek started somewhere, it had a beginning and those same beginning waters were now in town. I sat there thinking, isn’t that just like Jesus?
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Jesus never changes. Regardless of where He flows, His Living Water is always the same. He is the same, He is changeless. He doesn’t roll with the waves of circumstance as we do. He is not a God of happenings. He doesn’t ever change.
But You remain the same, and Your years will never end. Psalm 102:27
Never is forever and that’s when God will change – Never! No matter how we feel, the promise and the reality is that God never changes.
“I am the Lord, and I do not change…Now return to me and I will return to you” Malachi 3:6-7
Even when we are disobedient, when we are unloving, unmerciful, un-Godly, He is the same – merciful, loving, Godly God. His message since the Garden has always been the same – return to me – come to me. That’s His message to us today – return to me – come to me – I will restore you.
Before the beginning of time He has loved us and prepared to bless us all the while knowing our love for Him would waiver, knowing we would be an unfaithful people. His love, His mercy, His grace are not based on who we are or what we do. God is the same today, tomorrow, forever, His promises are the same today, tomorrow, forever, because of who He is. He always has been and always will be the God of the returners. Praise the Lord!