The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Accepting Change" for Saturday, 28 February 2015 Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-7

The Upper Room Daily Devotional Nashville, Tennessee, United States “Accepting Change" for Saturday, 28 February 2015 Scripture: Isaiah 43:1 But now this is what Adonai says,
he who created you, Ya‘akov,
he who formed you, Isra’el:
“Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you;
I am calling you by your name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through water, I will be with you;
when you pass through rivers, they will not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire, you will not be scorched —
the flame will not burn you.
3 For I am Adonai, your God,
the Holy One of Isra’el, your Savior —
I have given Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and S’va for you.
4 Because I regard you as valued and honored,
and because I love you.
For you I will give people,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
I will bring your descendants from the east,
and I will gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
and to the south, ‘Don’t hold them back!
Bring my sons from far away,
and my daughters from the ends of the earth,
7 everyone who bears my name,
whom I created for my glory —
I formed him, yes, I made him.’”
Paul wrote, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”[Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)]
When I was younger, I welcomed change. That was probably because I either instigated the changes in my life or at least seemed to have control over them. Life was full of new possibilities as I went off to college, learned new things, and made new friends. Change was everywhere, encouraged, and embraced.
Now that I am older, I realize that life sometimes leads me to places I don’t want to go. I have become resistant to change and often try to cling to the status quo. My head knows that this is impossible, but my heart remains stubborn.
We often don’t see “the big picture” in life; only God does. Change can bring about anxiety and fear, until we recognize that God is with us in the midst of all change.
Letting go of fear begins when we trust in God. When change comes, we can ask what we may learn from the situation. We can look for what God might be trying to teach us, which can lessen our resistance to change. And we can pray that we will be able to cope with change and allow God to guide us through it.
The Author: Michael Arnum (Massachusetts, USA)
Thought for the Day: Fear decreases as faith increases.
Prayer: O God, walk with us today and be our guide through whatever changes may come. Amen.
Prayer focus: People facing change
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