Thankfully, Some Things Never Change

A year ago I posted this picture of our abandoned looking upstairs hallway with piles of deliveries outside the bedroom doors with the caption: Quarantine Day 7. Four Smiths shut behind closed-doors--studying, playing music, working, writing, Zooming, napping… .trying to keep their germs to themselves. Two Smiths caring for the rest of us--selflessly and lovingly delivering clean laundry, bottled water, meals, and anything else we need to our doors. So grateful for family. For love. For God’s provision and protection. And for hilarious family group chats and Facetimes. 

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Our upstairs hallway during quarantine last year.

Life has changed a lot since last November. In some ways it feels like the world has changed. Again. All of us are a year older. Some of you might have a different job, different hair color, live in a different place (maybe with different people), have a different relationship or health status. I’m grateful to say the Smiths are not in quarantine. Whew. But God hasn’t changed. He never has. He never will.

I look over that list of things I was grateful for in my quarantine post. And no matter what changes in my life or in this world, I can always be grateful for:
 

• A God who provides. It’s actually one of His names--Jehovah Jireh--means God My Provider (Genesis 22:14). 
  
• God’s protection. Another one of God’s names is Elohim Shomri--God My Protector! It’s His name. He will always protect us. 
  

Those two I actually listed last year, but here are a few more that were also true then, are true today, and will always hold true.

• The fact that God will always be with us. Another name of God is Emmanuel, God With Us (Matthew 1:23). Meaning we’re never alone. So comforting! 
  
• Christ’s peace. Yahweh-Shalom means the Lord is peace (Judges 6:24). Who needs a little peace right now? Raise your hand. Mine’s up. We can inhale Christ’s peace. Exhale all that other stuff. I’m going to do it again. Inhale. Exhale. Because Jesus will always be our peace. 
  
• The truth that God is our father. This is my personal favorite name of God, Abba, which means Daddy. Our good good father. The One who always listens, always has the best advice, would come get us any time day or night no matter where we are or what happened. God is the Father we might not always agree with, but who truly does know what is best for us and always has our absolute best interests in mind.
  

Some names of God: Jehovah-Jireh, Elohim Shomri, Emmanuel, Yahweh-Shalom, Abba

On my last blog I challenged us to begin a “gratitude journey” to help us stay grounded in the good gifts God showers on us. I’ve gotten so many beautiful responses from you all on things you’re grateful for--the fall leaves, a supportive group of friends, waking up in the morning. How about this week we simply turn our gratitude to God, Himself? Take some time to meditate on who He is. On what He does for us. On how He loves us. Take a moment each day to say, “Thank you, God, for being my provider, my protector, with me always, my peace, the perfect Father.” You can write these statements out in your journal or on note cards to tape around your home or work place. You can close your eyes and focus on one of these truths, one of these names of God and how God being with you (or providing, or any of the above) changes everything. You can get down on your knees and proclaim these truths about God’s character out loud (I find this so powerful to drown out the lies and the gunk) or whisper them in your soul.

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Hebrews 13:8

And when we do, our mindset shifts. It’s harder to feel lonely when we remember God is with us. The stressful things ease up a bit when we focus on the fact that Christ is peace. That thing we’re worried about or downright frightened about is less scary when we proclaim God as our Protector and Provider. Sure, curve balls (like my family catching Covid-19 last November) will come our way, will change the way things look, and might be different from the way we hoped or wanted. But God is still God. He is still all the things He says He is. His names don’t expire or leave or fade or change. Our God is an everlasting God (Isaiah 40:28). 

The God who split the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21), defeated a fully armed army that consisted of “too many to count” with only 300 men armed with horns, torches, and clay pots (Judges 8), and who died on the cross because He loves you so fiercely (John 1) is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). That fills my heart with gratitude. 

What’s your favorite name of God? Let me know, and together we can praise Him for it!

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