If you have ever driven across Washington state, you know how quickly the world can change. You can start your morning in the quiet, green rainforest. By afternoon, you are driving past the sharp, snowy mountain peaks. A few hours later, you are looking at the lush, rolling hills of the Palouse.
The seasons change just like the landscape. Winter snow turns into spring flowers, which turn into hot summer days, and then cool autumn colors.
Change in nature is beautiful. But when change happens in our personal lives, it can feel completely exhausting.
Jesus talked about this very thing when He sat on a hillside with His closest friends. They were worried about the future, and this is what He told them:
Matthew 24:32-35 (CEV) "Learn a lesson from a fig tree. When its branches sprout and start putting out leaves, you know summer is near. So when you see all these things happening, you will know the time has almost come. I can promise you that some of the people of this generation will still be alive when all this happens. The sky and the earth won’t last forever, but my words will."
Unlike the weather forecast, life does not always warn us when a storm is coming.
I remember when I injured my back while moving a patient in the ER. Overnight, the ground beneath my feet didn't just shift—it felt like it completely disappeared. Everything I was comfortable with, everything I relied on, and the work I loved was suddenly stripped away.
During those long months of wondering what would happen next, a deep anxiety settled into my heart. I looked around at my broken plans and felt totally raw. I kept asking myself: Is there anything in this life that doesn't change? Is there anything I can rely on?
That crisis is where I finally discovered the true power of Jesus' promise.
Jesus looked at His stressed-out disciples, pointed to a tree, and reminded them that the physical world is temporary. Even the massive mountains and the wide-open skies will eventually fade away. But His words? They outlast it all.
When Jesus talks about His words, He is talking about His unchanging character. He is offering us real, solid ground:
His Promise of Grace: A love that doesn't require us to be perfect or have life all figured out.
His Promise of Forgiveness: A guarantee that our worst mistakes and deepest regrets never get the final say.
His Promise of Presence: A vow that no matter how dark or lonely the season feels, we never have to face it alone.
When my health changed, His promise to stay close to me did not change. When my bank account changed, His promise to care for me stayed exactly the same. In a world where everything shifts, Jesus is the one constant who stands firm. His words are a bedrock where we can finally stop trying to hold up the sky on our own, and simply rest.
PRAYER: Dear God, life changes way to quickly. I need the consistency of your word. Please help me change from relying on the world to relying on You. Today, I need to release tis to you...
Text Pastor Vic at 509-919-1897 if you'd like to talk.