Life Changes but God Does Not

It was a moment I never saw coming. Sure, things were weird. There were red flags whipping in the winds of something I could not control. I prayed. I confronted. I prayed again. I waited. I tried and prayed again. Yet, here was the truth of the affair. And there I stood watching as my husband of twenty years (who was a pastor) drove away. He was leaving me, our daughters, and our church. My life changed in an instant and where was God?

Psalms 33:6-11 tells us God created the world and all that is in it. And by his power and the power of his Son, it is sustained. He does not change and his Word never fails. So, God in his perfect wisdom, before I was even born, had a plan for my days.

But what about that day? What about the plans I had for my life at that time? What about my hopes, dreams, and expectations? I prayed, worked, planned, and did all the right things. Yet, on that day it didn’t matter. As I stood there nearly paralyzed with pain and fear, I questioned everything except God. Why? Because I knew from experience he could be trusted.

My first encounter with an excruciating event came when I was young. My life had been uneventful until my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Back then, the survival rate wasn’t great, but I believed with all my heart God was the Great Physician. Yet, she died. I was shocked and wounded. I blamed God, got angry and shook my fist in his face, believing he had let me down.

Thankfully, even though I ranted, cried, and questioned, he didn’t give up on me. There was a purpose. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:7) That is the golden key--faith.

So, when my world exploded, I clung to that truth through the blinding pain and uncertainties. God is faithful and he never changes. The events of my life have never been pointless. And while my plans may be unreliable, his are indisputable and eternal.

What emerged from the destruction of that fateful day was better than I could ever have imagined. There was provision, purpose, preservation, and peace. God never changes. He is always trustworthy, and we can take comfort in this part of God’s nature. Everything in this life will let us down at some point: whether it is circumstances, relationships, health, career, children, technology, etc., etc., etc. However unstable we feel, or uncertain our circumstances, there is security in him.  

The God I served then is the same God I serve now. He is the same God today as he was when he spoke the world into being. He is the same God of Abraham and David. He is the same God who redeemed Ruth. He is the same God who saved Rahab and her family. He is the same God who spoke to the woman at the well, and the same God who sent his Son to save us. And he is the God in whom I put my hope! If God never changes, then that means his love is forever. His forgiveness is forever. His salvation is forever. His promises are forever. 

Life can shift at a moment’s notice, and times may get tough. But God’s Word holds true and we can trust him in everything. Psalm 33 in its entirety is a psalm of praise. It reveals why God is worthy of that praise: his word, works, creation, redemption, counsel, and omniscience. We can have confidence in God and claim the words of the last two verses at the end of Psalm 33: Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in you.”

When we position ourselves in God’s presence,

his purpose will always prevail. 

Kim Johnson served as Chairman and Secretary of the Board for NEWIM from 2018 to 2023. She is a published author and speaker. Her latest book, What About Me? How to Survive Your Parents’ Divorce (for teens) was released in 2020.  Having experienced an unwanted divorce as a pastor’s wife, she has been leading divorce recovery classes at her church for over fifteen years. She and her husband are Volunteer Ministry Partners at their church in Southern California. They enjoy camping, hiking and fishing, and have a blended family of four adult children and ten grandchildren.

Email:             kim.diann.johnson@gmail.com