7 passages of Scripture for a major change
7 passages of Scripture. Whether single, married or in any season, we are all subject to change. And whatever season we find ourselves in when change strikes, these seven scriptures are filled with truth to help us get through the transition:
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."
Hebrews 13: 8
This Scripture reminds us that whatever else happens, Christ is constant. In fact, it is the only Constant.
The angel of the Lord who led Israel into the wilderness, the shepherd who inspired David to write Psalm 23, and the Messiah whose word calmed a stormy sea is the same Savior who guards our lives today.
Past, present and future, the his loyalty remains. The character, presence and grace of Christ will never change, even if everything around us changes.
“But our citizenship is in the skies. And we look forward to a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ “.
Philippians 3:20
The possibility that everything around us will change might seem unlikely, but in reality it is inevitable.
This because nothing in this world is eternal. Earthly riches, pleasures, beauty, health, careers, success, and even marriages are temporary, changeable, and guaranteed to vanish someday.
But that's okay, because this Scripture assures us that we don't belong in a fading world.
The change, therefore, is a reminder that we are not home yet. And if we're not at home, maybe getting comfortable isn't the plan.
Perhaps the plan is to navigate every twist of this fading life motivated by an eternal mission rather than an earthly mentality. And perhaps change can help us learn to do just that.
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations ... And surely I am with you always, until the end of time".
Matthew 28: 19-20
The moral of the story. As we live our lives earthly for an eternal mission, this Scripture assures us that we will never do it alone. This is an important reminder in times of transition, as big changes can often lead to great loneliness.
I have experienced it myself, either by walking away from home to start university or trying to find a Christian community in my current new city.
Traversing the deserts of change is hard enough for a group, much less for a solo traveler.
7 passages of Scripture: God is always present in your life
But even in the most remote lands where change can find us alone, Christ is the only one who can - and does - promise to be our constant companion, always and forever.
"Who knows except that you have arrived at your real position for a period like this?"
Esther 4: 14b
Of course, just because God promises being with us during a transition doesn't mean it will be easy. Conversely, just because a transition is difficult doesn't mean we are outside of God's will.
Esther probably discovered these truths firsthand. A captive orphan girl, she had enough in mind without needing to be torn from her only guardian, sentenced to life imprisonment in a haram and crowned Queen of the Conquered World.
And if that's not enough, change the laws it also suddenly dragged them with the seemingly impossible task of stopping a genocide!
In all these difficulties, however, God had a plan. Indeed, the difficulties were part of God's plan, a plan that Esther, in her early days of transition to the palace, could hardly have begun to imagine.
Only with her saved people would she be able to look completely back and see how God had actually brought her into her new, however difficult situation, "for a time like this."
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28
When a new situation poses difficulties, this verse reminds us that we, like Esther, can trust God with our stories. It is a sure thing.
If Romans 8:28 read: “We hope that in most cases, God can eventually think of a way to change things for the benefit of some people,” then we may have a right to worry.
Any change in your life never forget the eternal goal of Heaven
But no, Romans 8:28 exudes confidence that we know that God has all of our stories under total control. Even when life changes leave us taken by surprise, we belong to the lead author who knows the whole story, has a glorious ending in mind, and is weaving every twist for ultimate beauty.
“So I tell you, don't worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or of your body, of what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothes? "
Matthew 6:25
Because we don't see the big pictures in our story, twists often seem like ideal reasons for us to panic. When I learned that my parents had moved, for example, I could see the reasons for worrying from all kinds of fascinating angles. 7 passages of Scripture.
Where would I work if I moved with them to Ontario? Where would I rent if I stayed in Alberta? What if all the changes were too much for my family?
What if I move but can't find new friends or meaningful employment? Would I be stuck forever, friendless, jobless and frozen under two feet of Ontario's perpetual snow?
When any of us face problems like these, Matthew 6:25 reminds us to take a deep breath and COOL. God doesn't take us into transitions to leave us stuck in the snow.
He is also much more capable of taking care of us than we are. Additionally, eternity-centered lives calls us to mean much more than investing our hearts and souls in raking up earthly things that they already know we need.
And although the journey is not always easy yet, as we continue to take each next step that God places before us with His kingdom in mind, He beautifully orders the surrounding earthly details.
"The Lord said to Abraham:" Go from your country, your people and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation and bless you; I'll make your name. great, and you will be a blessing “.
Genesis 12: 1-2
7 passages of Scripture. As it turned out in my case, my initial concerns about moving were really useless as Matthew 6: 25-34 said. God always had a specific ministry job in mind for me.
But to get in it would have been necessary to leave there my family, clike Abram did, and move to a new place that I had never heard of until then. But even as I try to adapt to my new environment, God's words to Abraham remind me that he has a plan, a good plan! - behind the transition to which he called me.
Like Abraham, I am finding that important transitions are often necessary steps towards the purposes that God intends to unfold in our life.
The moral of the story
Taking a step back to look at the switchboard of what these seven scriptures reveal, we see that even difficult transitions are opportunities to draw close to God and to fulfill the purposes He has prepared for us.
In the midst of the transition, God's word assures us that it won't change even when everything else changes. As our earthly lives are bound to change, our unchanging God has called us on an eternal mission to an eternal home and promises to be with us every step of the way.