The God who never changes

I love how Psalm 102 ends.

In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.

Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.

But you remain the same, and your years will never end.  (Psalm 102:25-27)

In other words, while even this world will someday perish and will have to be made anew, God never changes.

Why is that so important?  Because it means that no matter how much we may fail, his mercy towards us will never fail.

This psalm was probably written during Israel’s time of exile in Babylon.  And the psalmist weeps at the suffering he and his people went through.

Their enemies mocked them, their hope seemed to be all but gone, and all they had left was despair because of God’s wrath that had been poured down on them.

But then the psalmist cries out,

But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.

You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.  (12-13)

It’s possible that the 70 years of exile prophesied by Jeremiah were coming to an end when this psalm was written.

And so the psalmist says, “Lord, it’s time to show favor to Jerusalem again.  The time you appointed has come.  Now arise and show us compassion once again.”

He then looked to the time when God himself would have Jerusalem rebuilt, and the resulting wonder of the nations around them.  He sang,

The nations will fear the name of the Lord, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.

For the Lord will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory.  (15-16)

As he looks toward that day, he rejoices in the Lord’s mercy singing,

He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.  (17)

And again,

The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.  (19-20)

I love these verses because it shows that though we were spiritually bankrupt, bound to sin and condemned to death, yet God heard our cries and set us free.

And the day will come when all will assemble to worship the One who redeemed us, and we’ll dwell in his presence forever.  (22, 28)

Lord I thank you that you are from everlasting.  That though people change, you never change.  That though we sin, your mercy never fails. 

So Lord, until the day comes when you come again, may your mercies toward me be made new every morning.  Thank you for your faithfulness.  In Jesus’ name amen.