Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, ESV)
If you have been around golf for a while, you know how much the game has changed over the years. There are an endless number of club manufacturers, each with numerous club fitting options that certainly were not available a few years ago. Then there are various types of balls, range finders, and many other gadgets that the marketing people tell us we must have.
Golf is such a great game, and I am so grateful my father introduced me to it when I was twelve years old. There is always more to learn, and I have always loved playing it. However, my approach to golf has changed over the years, and my guess is yours has too.
In my yesterdays, I hit the ball much farther. My mindset on the first tee was, “Ok, let’s go low.” During those many rounds as a kid and young adult, I was thinking, “Knock it close,” pretty much all the time.
Today, even with the vast improvements in clubs and balls, those thoughts are long gone. Some of that change in thinking is because of an artificial left knee and recently, a right hip replacement. Now that I am seventy, I can see and feel the subtle differences that occur for everyone because of our changing bodies.
Regarding my tomorrow (and perhaps yours too), besides moving up a tee or two, I don’t know for sure how I will approach the game of golf when I’m 80, should the Lord allow me those extra days. I certainly play the game differently today than how I used to play it. Undoubtedly in the years ahead, my approach to golf will change still more.
Jesus, however, does not change. The Bible assures us that He is the same as he has always been—perfect in every way. We have a record of Jesus’ life in the four gospels. And we have stories about his early followers and what to expect in the future in the New Testament letters. In those gospels and letters, we are told that he was there in the very beginning. We are also told he will return someday just as He promised.
He can save completely, and he lives to intercede for us.
Through the inspired word of God and the Holy Spirit, Jesus assures us we need not worry about our tomorrows, because he is already there waiting for us. Today’s verse tells us that God does not change. He was, is, and always will be the same. A wonderful friend, Jeff Hopper, who was the editor of Links Devotionals for over 20 years, reminded me of this shortly before he died.
This same Jesus tells us that we can have a future where we will always be with our never-changing God. He can save completely, and he lives to intercede for us. He always was and will remain the only door for salvation.
He can sympathize with every aspect of our humanity. Jesus knows all our pain and sadness, and all our joys and everyday experiences. In prayer I can always rest in His loving arms. Jesus is indeed still the same.
Have you placed your faith in the God who is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow?
If not, why not? Have questions? Need help? Let us know!