Ask anyone, and they’ll agree that today’s world is very different from the one our parents and grandparents knew. The funny thing is that the feeling is not new by any means. “The cause of the … increase in nervous disease is increased demand made by the conditions of modern life,” affirmed an article published at the end of the 19th century! 1 “The dreamy quiet old days are over,” lamented William Smith nearly 130 years ago. “The hurry and bustle of modern life … lacks the quiet and repose of the period when our forefathers … took their ease.” 2
Besides the world constantly changing, our lives also go through seasons that bring different sets of challenges and opportunities. We cope with stresses and make decisions to the best of our abilities, but we can’t know what the future holds, and past performance is no guarantee of future success. We might often feel, somewhat like the authors above, that we’d be better off if we could slow down the clock.
When everything in life seems to be changing, making us feel anxious, lost, or as though life is a terrifying journey through uncharted territory, we can rely on our unchanging God. He is constant. He is the same today as He was when He walked the earth, and He will be the same tomorrow. 3 “The Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.” 4
Even though we don’t know what the future holds for us, come what may, it is impossible for God to leave us alone or to fail us when we need Him. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer … my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” 5