Thought for Today
Psalm 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
Lamentations 3:22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Matthew 18:3 and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
James 1:17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
“Have you ever had a situation where someone unexpectedly made you reconsider something?” (These Days, August 10, 2026)
Have you? I have! In fact, I have also had situations where someone expectedly made me reconsider something. The author of the devotional which began with that question seems to me to be suggesting that even Jesus had occasion to unexpectedly reconsider something and thereby to change his mind. The devotional is a reflection on Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15. That encounter in vss. 22-28 is a bit strange and maybe even uncomfortable for many of us, because Jesus’ response to the woman who sought help for her demonic-possessed daughter seems harsh and unloving, “Matthew 15:26 He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." In the end, Jesus relents and grants her request. In “Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly” the author finds evidence of Jesus’ being teachable.
Leaving aside for a minute the question of whether or not Jesus ‘changed his mind,’ think about how you and I respond to change. Do we readily adapt our thoughts, our opinions and/or our actions to changes in the world around us? Does our propensity to resist change increase as we grow, mature and age? Are we always rigid and inflexible as we encounter new situations, new ideas or new things? Is it better to be a fixed, rigid reference point, never changing, or to be a ‘reed blowing in the wind,’ constantly changing and adapting to any and all changes? At what point does remaining a fixed point of reference become a liability rather than an asset?
I love the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness. It is based on those verses from Lamentations above. God’s covenant faithfulness, God’s constancy and consistency are foundational to Christianity and Judaism. God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent, and, thankfully, unchanging. I have always loved the Epistle of James, and especially his words about “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
I am also aware of Jesus’ words to us about the need for change, “unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Most of us are familiar with the change of Saul of Tarsus from a persecutor of Christians to the great Christian missionary and writer Paul. Faith does seem to demand change.
Regrettably, some days it does seem that many misunderstand Jesus’ words. Jesus never told us to act childishly. Jesus told us to trust and believe like children. Children have a propensity to instinctively trust in those who love them. Children believe what they are told by those who love them. We are to respond to God’s love for God’s children in the same way, instinctively, faithfully and in full measure.
One of my favorite adages is, “You never live in the world in which you grew up.” Our world constantly changes. How could we possibly interact with our current world of electronics, computers and AI using the same ideas, techniques and policies our ancestors used in the 17th century?
Maybe an even more important question is, “How could we possibly continue to interface with God’s Creation using the same ideas, techniques, actions and policies we employed before we had a personal encounter with Jesus, the Christ?” “James 2:18 . . . Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” Jesus transforms, changes, who we were to who we can become.
Listen to Jesus, become ‘all you can be,’ trust God,
Pastor Ray