People Don't Change

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God will give ear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, Selah because they do not change and do not fear God ~ Psalm 55:19

 Sometime I think about how overwhelming life was for me when I struggled to understand why things were so hard. Many times I wondered why all my efforts did not reap the reward, which  similar efforts and plans of others appeared to lavishly achieve. This, of course, was not limited to professional / recreational successes but relational as well.

I do not really have any answers for those question; my apologies if your life has had its share of these plagues. But hopefully what I do understand will encourage you in some way:  God is sovereign and His plans are for our good.  Some of those things, I trust, would not have brought the satisfaction or end result which His BEST would afford us.  In reality, now, I realize how short sighted some of my desires were, based on how I have changed, matured and gained wisdom.

It was in my striving and not getting, being hurt by others and being left wounded emotionally or physically to deal with the fall out, among other things,which finally opened my heart, mind and soul to the One who knew everything I wanted, needed, regretted and distorted: The Lord God Almighty.  Over many years I have praised Him, questioned Him, cried out in frustration to Him and sat silently with Him.  And at the end of each I was so desperately grateful that He is the same and promises to NOT change, yet will Himself never cease to change ME.  

How in the world would I, or anyone,  realize that His Spirit is in me and desiring to help if everything in life constantly made me happy and emote in pleasant ways; which would also mean having so much time, energy and wealth to care for those I desired to help occasionally.  I must assume, people would become fake around me just to get what they wanted, which does not foster realistic, fragile relationships.  Without these dependable relationships in my life, I would never be able to figure out how selfish my real self is; since most often the real us is only exposed when we don't get our way or are confronted regarding our interactions and thoughts.

Most troubling to me is is the thought, of which I am fairly confident, that without the undesirable things, if I had received my life as I wanted it,  I would not have desired God, not really, nor a Savior.  Why would I, If I could get it, accomplish it and gain the glory for my efforts, what would I need to be saved from? And if I was having such fantastic accomplishments here and feeling good about saving others from their discomfort and worldly evils, why in the world would I want to leave a life like that?

In reality however, I did not get life on a silver platter, and I have God size needs all the time.  The difference now, from then, is that as God continued working on my interior and disciplining me (which of course is always in motion), life really did not and has not changed very much outside of me.  NOW,  I am grateful that He chose to change ME and NOT everything that came crushing in on my feelings, which stemmed from physical things past and present and hopes of the future. Due to His choices, His ways, He has managed to prove Himself in the changes within me and how those changes have altered my dynamics within this world - whether private or public.

If anyone has ever told you "People don't change". Please feel free to borrow my reply, which oddly enough came out of the mouth of a christian counselor.  "If people do not change, then why on earth did Christ have to suffer and die?"  People say many things for many reasons......however, the undisputed sovereign truth states: change what you believe, change the way you think, change the way you act that you may change while you live and also change your eternity.  That seems to be a WHOLE LOT of changing for one person - just sayin'!

There is more I wanted to ponder here from scripture; but another time.  As for today, I am ending with something Charles Spurgeon wrote reminding us that God doe not change:

Remember God is the same, whatever is removed. Your friends may be disaffected, your ministers may be taken away, every thing may change, but God does not. Your brethren may change and cast out your name as vile: but God will love you still. Let your station in life change, and your property be gone; let your whole life be shaken, and you become weak and sickly; let everything flee away—there is one place where change cannot put his finger; there is one name on which mutability can never be written; there is one heart which never can alter; that heart is God's—that name Love. 

Charles Spurgeon 

My prayer for us is to worship and serve the One who will never cease to stay with us and save us beyond what we call "REAL".  May each of you have a magnificent day; God gave us light and said each day is good.  And while people don't change unless they desire something better for themselves, God will never stop changing those who are willing for Him to do it.

Let's start thinking about our life from His vantage point ;)

Kisses,
Candace

© 2015 by Candace Huffmaster

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