Devotionals

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever!

If I’m being honest, I used to dread reading the Old Testament. You see, I used to think it was all outdated ways of living and thinking. I thought it was full of so much death and destruction and that it was downright depressing. A lot of it didn’t make sense to me as a kid. Why would God allow so many of these bad things to happen?

However, my perspective was changed when I finally read my Bible all the way through, from Genesis to Revelation, for the first time. God changed the way I viewed the first half of the Bible. He opened up my heart and mind to understanding His scripture on a deeper level. I finally started to see the beauty in those “depressing” books of the Bible, and I gleamed something very joyful, instead – God’s everlasting character.

So much of the heartbreak we read about in the Old Testament (and beyond) derived from people deviating from God’s will and instead following their own. There is a deep universal truth in this: following our own way (sin) will always lead to heartbreak and disappointment. These beginning books of the Bible highlight our ultimate need for redemption. And it’s in these Old Testament books that we can notice an important pattern – one that points to a very beautiful future (spoiler alert: it’s Jesus!).

Throughout all 66 books of the Bible, God’s character never falters. Not even once. He is the same God at Genesis 1:1 as He is at Revelations 22:21. Genesis 1 shows God’s omnipotence as well as His goodness. “And God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). The last chapter of Revelations speaks of His grace. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all” (Revelations 22:21). And in every book and chapter in between, we see example after example of God’s goodness and grace.

It’s a great comfort to me in times of trouble to see that throughout the many generations recorded in the Bible, God’s character remained the same. He never stopped loving His people, no matter how badly they sinned or how far they strayed. God welcomes each of His children back home to Him with open arms.

God has never stopped showing mercy and grace to His people, and He never will! We can trust God in all circumstances because we see that His character never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Amen!

Journal Prompt

The next time you read your Bible, I encourage you to highlight any verses that speak to who God’s character is. Then, spend some time in prayer thanking Him for His character that never falters!

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your unwavering character! I know that you are the same God today as You were in Genesis, and that You will be the same when Your Word is fulfilled in the second coming of Christ. Today, Lord, let me reflect on your characteristics – qualities of love, mercy, faithfulness, and goodness – and let me praise You for those attributes as I go about my day!