Facing Unexpected Change.
“All is flux, nothing stays still” remarks Heraclitus, one of the earliest philosophers in Western history. If we take a moment to think about it, it is indeed so. Actually, there aren’t many things in life that are as certain as change, even if we are not necessarily aware of it, nor do we think about it very much most of the time. Nevertheless, change is constant.
Yet, although we acknowledge the inevitability of change, this does not lessen the predicament of particular life changes including ageing and death. Instead, we make a lot of effort to delay or avoid acknowledging these impending changes, whether by buying into advertisements of overpriced skincare products or entertaining the idea of getting cryogenically frozen. We want to have as much permanence and stability as we can. And when we can’t, we want to be able to negotiate how much of that permanence we have to give up or when to give it up.
Much harder to prepare and negotiate, or even accept, is unexpected change. It often catches us by surprise due to its defining character as being unexpected, in type or in scale. It shatters our illusions of control and virtually forces us to face the fact that change does occur and it’s not up to us to decide when and how it occurs. Awoken from the illusion of being the boss of our own life, we are left in utter disorientation. For instance, who would have thought that everyone would be wearing fashion masks everywhere on the street six months ago?
He is in control
However, as much as change can be unexpected to us, thankfully, nothing is unexpected to God our Heavenly Father. Being the Creator and Sustainer of all, nothing exists or occurs without His knowledge or permission. While we are disoriented by all the unknown unknowns and its impacts on the world that we live in, the eternal God knows everything, including the hidden things and the most secret thoughts, from the beginning to the end of history. In the middle of the book Isaiah, the prophet pronounces chapter after chapter of detailed judgements that would be cast upon Israel and her surrounding nations. To prepare the people of God as they face unexpected change, the prophet reminds his reader who God is:
“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing”
From human activity to natural phenomenon, nothing is surprising to the Almighty God, the Creator of the world. He is from everlasting to everlasting. There is none like Him.
He’s not simply a perfect version of us. He is God.
He cares
Just as we are not always aware of the constant change that we live in despite our knowledge of it, we are not always aware of the constant and meticulous involvement of our Heavenly Father in our lives. As Isaiah reminds the people of God who He is, he also reminds them of their special relationship with Him:
“He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.”
I’m a city girl and know very little about farm life. But Isaiah’s description of how God cares for His people shows us as much what God is like as what our relationship with Him is like. Whilst sheep are not the most interesting and valuable animals in the world, they are valued and cherished by their shepherd. Every single line in this metaphor spells out how intimately God cares for His people. Not only is He there for them, like a shepherd caring for his flock, he “carries them close to his heart”!
The Creator and Sustainer of all, who has all the power and wisdom, cares for you and me personally and intimately. Whilst the world offers no direction or certainty about the future, our future is secure in our Shepherd’s arms.
He is unchangeable
Just as we think nothing more could be added to comfort God’s people, Isaiah reminds them of another truth about God as they face the imminent change of being taken over by another kingdom; a change that is so tremendous in scale it would shake their understanding of the world and possibly cause them to forget their own identity. In the midst of all these changes, Isaiah reminds them that God is unchangeable:
“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.”
Being fickle unexpected in an ever-changing world, everything that I know in this world is changing, changeable, and temporal. But “the Lord is the everlasting God”. As we are certain that nothing is out of His control, we can also be certain that nothing is going to change His commitment to love and care for His people. Nothing can change His love for you and me, because as much as you and I can be surprised by all the unexpected things, nothing is unexpected for Him.
Facing unexpected change can be a nerve-wracking experience for us all. But if you are a sheep of His flock, you are tenderly loved and cared for by the unchangeable, everlasting, and almighty God. As we marvel at these wonderful truths, why not let them direct our hearts to praise and worship this amazing God?