Consistent!

Consistent!

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8 KJV

As I read these words, I am reminded that it is only a personal experience that can lead a man to say these words. They do not proceed out of only much reading or out of only much learning; you need something else to add to reading, studying, hearing and learning about God that can help you come to the same conclusion as the writer of these words. God cannot remain at the level of my physical senses; it is good that I hear him or see his mighty works, but if my life will lead to profit, my senses cannot be the sole basis of engagement with God. 

The words show that the writer had tested and found God to be true to his word. How did he know this: by simply comparing the stories he had heard about God and matching them to the story of his own life and the people around him. This is the secret: God always leaves for himself witnesses to his power, might and wisdom on the earth. If I search long enough, I will find at least one person who can testify to the greatness of God. Have I sought God out in this manner? Does God know that he is all I need, desire or seek after? 

The power of God's personal dealings in the life of a man can never be overemphasised. I read the verse just before today's extract and it says that: Remember them.... who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. These were men to spoke to other people about God, but it did not end there. These men made sure that the God they spoke about was evident in their personal lives too. They were not just concerned with making good impressions, but also on leaving eternal footprints in the lives of all who came their way. That is the power of God made manifest in a man's life. 

God cannot touch a life and that life remains the same. It is not possible. It is either the man responds to the touch or he rejects the touch. Both decisions have eternal consequences and no one can blame God for the consequences of his or her decision. The same God who dealt with Abraham of the old covenant is the same God who dealt with the Ethiopian eunuch under the new covenant. The same God who called the house of Levi to the  priesthood of Israel, is the same God who calls us to the priesthood of all believers. 

Dispensation may change, but God never does. Man may ebb and flow just like the sea that is unpredictable, but he will always find out that God has not moved from where he was and he has not lowered the standard simply because man struggles to meet it. What he called sin under Adam is still sin under Paul, and it will remain sin even in this sinful and adulterous generation. That I struggle with sin does not excuse my behaviour; God's grace is made available so I can live above sin. That I do not do so is not God's fault;  that I refuse to take God up on his offer of salvation, redemption and hope is not God's fault. 

No matter the season, dispensation or generation, God is the same. It is this consistency that gives me hope that if I seek him on his terms, I will always find him. And I also note that the word AND is common to all the times and seasons that are mentioned in today's extract. With God, all the days are the same, because he does not change like shifting shadows. He is the God who created yesterday, and then deals with all the baggage of today, whilst still speaking into tomorrow. That is why he can be trusted, and why I can look forward to whatever day it is, as I know that God has got my back. His time of favour is here.