Resting in God's Unchanging Character: Nightly Prayer

Resting in God’s Unchanging Character

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

SOMETHING TO PONDER

“The only constant in life is change.”

This famous quote summarizes the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus and offers a modern take on his thoughts. We live in a world constantly shifting, developing, and changing. And while we’d like to think every change will be an improvement, we know that’s not true. Crises happen. People betray us.

Some changes constitute progress, for sure. Yet overall, the “change” in our world leads to disruption, decay, and death. We call this entropy—objects naturally tend to disorder. Therefore, much of our life is wrapped up in attempting to sustain that which will eventually break. Our bodies. Homes. Cars. Other objects.

Ultimately, this leads us to despair. Why try so hard when it’ll all break down anyway?

The writer of Hebrews calls us to consider the unchanging nature of God.

The fancy word for this is immutable. Unchangeable. God never changes. He is all-loving, caring, knowing, powerful, faithful, truthful, and more. These aspects will never wane or fade. The writer of Hebrews defines Jesus as God, immutable, in Hebrews 13:8. Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Not only is Jesus unchangeable, but his work transcends the temporary nature of the world around us. In fact, as we see in the Gospels, when he who is immutable engages the entropic chaos and disorder, he transforms and renews. He resurrects, He heals. All from his loving character.

We can trust and count on Jesus. Today, we can encounter the same expressed in the Gospel. He is good, and he will do what he said he would. He will return and set it all right, a process he began two thousand years ago. Christ works within our lives and situations right now, bringing the same marks of heaven coming to earth: endurance, transformation, reconciliation, and redemption.

Let us rest in the love of God, the Jesus who works on our behalf, for our good and his glory.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Thank you that while everything around us changes, you stay forever faithful. Fix our hearts on the Messiah, Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When chaos, decay, and disappointment surround us, anchor us in the hope of your immutable love and truth. Renew and restore what sin has broken and transform our lives by your unwavering power. Help us trust your promises and remember your redeeming work in death and resurrection, all until Christ comes back to make all things new.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. What are some things you’ve felt you could count on in this life but realized you couldn’t?

2. What are some ways you’ve seen God remain faithful even when others haven’t?

3. How could you use this eternal perspective to reframe some difficulties in your life today?

Go Deeper: Finding God's Comfort in Grief with Lisa Appelo

Have you ever experienced a loss that divided your life into a “before” and an “after”?

Fourteen years ago, my friend Lisa Appelo woke to the sound of her husband Dan’s strange breathing. Within hours, she learned he had suffered cardiac arrest and could not be revived. In a single morning, Lisa became a widow and the sole parent of seven children.

As Lisa tried to put her feet on the floor each morning and help her children navigate their own grief, she discovered that God’s comfort wasn’t always found in answers. Often, it came through His Word, His sustaining grace, the kindness of His people, and the quiet assurance that He was near—even when she couldn’t feel Him.

This week on The Love Offering Podcast, Lisa and I talk about her new devotional journal, God of Comfort, and what it means to grieve honestly while still holding on to hope. If you like what you hear, follow The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: LightFieldStudios

Britt Mooney Britt Mooney lives and tells great stories. As an author of fiction and non-fiction, he is passionate about teaching ministries and nonprofits the power of storytelling to inspire and spread truth. Mooney has a podcast called Kingdom Over Coffee and is a published author of We Were Reborn for This: The Jesus Model for Living Heaven on Earth as well as Say Yes: How God-Sized Dreams Take Flight.