In a world where news is instant and even daily newspapers are out of date by the time you read them, writing a monthly article a few weeks in advance is quite challenging as it's impossible to know what the situation will be when you read it. One thing COVID-19 has taught us is that things can change very quickly. And especially (at the time of writing!) when lockdown is being eased and therefore there is an increased chance that infections will rise. The guidelines coming from the government can change almost daily. This particularly affects those who run businesses or organisations but it also affects employees and indeed everyone. Ever-changing guidelines and regulations can confuse and disorientate us.
In such a world, the way God reveals himself to us in the Bible comes as a great comfort. In Malachi 3:6, God says “I the Lord do not change” and throughout the Old Testament (e.g. Psalm 18; Isaiah 26:4) he is referred to as a rock – an image of security, stability and strength. When all around us is uncertain and like shifting sands, we can rest peacefully if we are anchored on his unchanging nature. God is often contrasted with the fickleness or deceitfulness of humanity (1 Samuel 15:29) or the fleetingness of creation (Psalm 102:25-27), which reminds us that everything (including COVID-19) will pass away. Because he is eternal and unchanging, Peter wrote “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7) and Paul wrote “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). So by trusting in God we have nothing to fear; neither disease, nor unemployment, nor even death. As the hymn 'Great is thy Faithfulness' says: “There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not, as Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be...All I have needed Thy hand hath provided - Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”
Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, confirming that Jesus is God and so his character does not change either. Instead, Jesus is the demonstration of (as Brennan Manning says in 'The Ragamuffin Gospel') God's 'magnificent monotony', his constant attitude of relentless love towards us. So not only is God eternal and unchanging, he is also unceasingly loving towards us. He is not waiting for us to slip up so he can punish us, he is wanting us to realise that our sins separate us from him and repent so our relationship with him can be restored. That is why the great truth of Hebrews 13:8 comes in the context of moral teachings – Jesus' character doesn't change, and neither do his teachings.
Sometimes we wish his teachings would change, like government guidelines on COVID do, because many of them are so out of step with the values of society. But if God's character towards us is constant then we can be sure that his guidelines and instructions are for our benefit, no matter how much they conflict with society or our personal preferences. His instructions are never out-of-date, primitive or not relevant today because they come from his eternal wisdom and love. And although they may sometimes be challenging and difficult, they are given to us by him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) and who promises us life in all its fullness (John 10:10).
