July 26, 2024
Last week at Thanksgiving we had our entire family together for the first time in a good while. Our youngest daughter, who is disabled, at times chooses to not join. It’s just a lot of noise and uncontrolled chaos for her to handle. However, this year she came.
Over the years she has developed some physical disabilities along with her autism. She uses a walker to help her get around. I wanted to get a family picture since everyone was there. It’s a wonderful thing that you can set your phone up to take a picture and it even gives you time to get in the picture while it provides a countdown. Amazing!
We were trying to get our daughter in the picture at the last minute without her walker. We gave her someone to hold onto and had her walker within arm’s reach but out of the picture. I watched her struggle to just stand unassisted. She was so unstable and shaky. We ended up getting a picture but the thought of her physically trying to stand unassisted troubled me. We took her security away and she was scared. I have thought about this scenario this week.
Personally, I am not a fan of change, and I’m not talking about the kind you put in your pocket. Change, whether it be plans, weather, lifestyle, moves, or anything else seems to make me feel a little shaky and unstable. I feel that way because often times I let go of my security when there is change happening in my life.
The definition of stability is the strength to stand or endure. The answer to stability is to have something constant to hold onto. God is my constant. He is the only thing in my life that is guaranteed to be unchanging or invariable.
When I focus on what is happening around me, whether it be change or circumstances, I take my eyes off God who is my constant. The Bible says in the first part of Malachi 3:6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change.” This means He is always loving, always powerful, always trustworthy, always faithful, and always consistent!
God created this world and the people who are living in it. He knew and continues to know that the world will change and people will fail. The only way for us to feel stability in a changing world is through our faith in Him.
He is reliable. He is my refuge, and He is my rock. One definition of a rock is a foundation, support, or refuge. Another is someone who is strong and stable and dependable. God is our only constant and He is our only rock.
There are several scriptures to back this up. 1 Samuel 2:2 says, “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no ROCK like our God.” I also love 2 Samuel 22:31-32 “As for God, His way is perfect; the Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the ROCK except our God?”
Did you notice it said He shields ALL who take refuge in Him. He offers to be the refuge, stability, and rock for all of us. Our job is to take His offer. He will never force it on us, but His offer will stand and never change.
This has been a hard week for me. Not for any one reason, but several reasons. You may not need this reminder but I do. When times are turbulent and shaky, we all need something stable and strong to hold on to. We all need a firm foundation in a world where there are people and circumstances that are anything but firm.
God reminded me this week that when my life and circumstances feel shaky and out of control, He is not only my refuge but he is my only refuge that can provide the stability to continue to put one foot in front of the other.
My life is ever-changing. My future is unpredictable. My emotions are unreliable. At times people are inconsistent and can be untrustworthy, and that includes myself.
God is my rock. He is unchanging, reliable, trustworthy, and constant no matter what my circumstances are or where I am in my life. The only true constant is God. I hate that my daughter has to use a walker to get around. However, I can understand why she needs it and feels unsafe and uncomfortable without it. She needs that walker to assist her in all areas of her everyday life. Without it, she is scared, shaky, and unstable.
God reminded me that I need Him to be the constant stability when my life is scary, shaky, and unpredictable. He is the rock on which I will stand, trust, gain strength, find refuge and hold onto. I do not have the ability to change my circumstances but I do have the ability to trust the One who can. What about you? Who is your rock? I pray it is the only rock that can make a difference — God!
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Jill Johnson, a staff member at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother and Georgian. She is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
