I am the Lord, I change not

"For I am the Lord, I change not" (Malachi 3:6)

Can God be trusted? The prophet, Malachi, believed that He could be, when he reminded Israel of this great truth some 2,500 years ago. Why did Israel's God call Himself, "Lord"? The very fact that God chose to reveal Himself by this particular name is significant. In our English Bibles this word, "Lord", is written in capitals. This means that the word in Hebrew is "Jehovah". "Jeho­vah", means the "self-existent or covenant keeping one". In other words, God needs no help from anyone. He is the mighty Cre­ator and He is sufficient for all things. He keeps all of His promises (2 Cor. 1:20) and He never changes.

On August 29, 1970, I was confronted with the claims of Christ. That day, I saw myself as a hopeless sinner and I made the decision to believe that God could be trusted to save all who would come to Him (John 6:37). In the thirty-four years that have passed since that day, I have learned, not only by the truths in scripture, but also by the experiences of life, that God is all that He claims to be. His promises are still true and He never changes! The Scriptures proclaim the immutability of God. History defends it and, for believers, this truth becomes a "nail in a sure place", an anchor for the soul in the storm-tossed sea of change.

Society has changed. Laws have changed. Many of us remember a time when God was honored and feared. For the most part, those days are gone. Most Bibles lie unopened. Sin has been rede­fined. But nothing has changed in heaven. God has not adjusted His character or His words to please the 21st century. His standards are still the same. His character and His words remain unchanged. His mercy and His love for sinners have never waned. The ham­mers of this changing world will beat themselves into nothingness on the anvil of God's unchanging character. All His promises are still true and are not just mottoes to be hung on our walls but they are to be lived out in our lives.

What characterizes our lives? Are we full of anxious doubts or are we confidently trusting our faithful, unchanging God today?

Remember the promise, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8).

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