A God We Can Count On

Sunday, May 26, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.”

Hebrews 13:7–9

In 1936, the professional football team known as the Rams took the field for the first time. They played in Cleveland for ten years before moving to Los Angeles for the 1946 season. After almost fifty years on the West Coast, they moved to St. Louis in 1995. They lasted there for twenty-one years before moving back to Los Angeles for the 2016 season. Someone suggested that fans of the team should only buy jerseys and hats that just say “Rams” without the city on it—because they’ll probably move again in a few more years.

In truth there is nothing human that is 100 percent dependable. No government, business, or institution is guaranteed to last. Many people know what it is like to be abandoned or betrayed or let down by someone they counted on. And even those people who are faithful and consistent can be taken from life at any moment. The one thing—the only one—we can always count on is God because He never changes.

David lived a life filled with huge swings. He went from winning great victories to literally running for his life. Leaders treated him unfairly, friends joined rebellions against his throne, and even some of his own family members turned against him. No wonder David wrote, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance”(Psalm 42:5).

Today's Growth Principle: 

Even when everything around us seems to be unstable and changing, we can trust our unchanging God.