Please find below Brett Harris' notes from the Mid-service comments this past Sunday. Meditate on these texts and the prayer below on the unchanging nature of God and how vital that is to our faith in Him.
Ecc 3:14 says: I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear [or stand in awe] before him.
As human beings, we are limited. We only see so much, we can only understand so much. If God has not made it plain to us, we won't get it.
But God has made some of himself known to us. Among his many attributes is that God does not change.
What is currently true about God, has always been true about God. What will be true about God, is what is currently true about God.
That is unlike us. We are very likely different today than we were in the past. And will likely be different in the future than we are today. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. We decay physically and, hopefully, we mature spiritually.
But God is not like that. He has no decay in him nor does he have a need to mature.
We sang words earlier that highlighted God's unchanging nature. 'His perfect love will never change and his mercies never cease.'
If God's love ever changes or his mercies cease, then we are hopeless and destroyed.
But, because God does not change, his love for us will never change. Because God will be the same tomorrow as he is today, his mercies will never cease.
Listen to Paul's words at the end of Romans chapter 8 when he is speaking about God's love for his people…
Read Romans 8:31-39
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” ¶ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31–39 ESV)
Prayer
God, you are constant. Your love never changes, your mercies never cease, your word never fades away.
You gave your own Son for our ransom. You raised your own Son , sat him at your right hand so that he could intercede for those who love you.
Because your love is so great, nothing can separate your people from your love. Not death or life or angels or rulers or things present or things to come. There is no height nor depth nor anything else in all creation that can overcome your love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Father, help our worship - our singing, our giving, our praying - to be true and right and loving and humble.
Amen