Rhythms of Change 

By: Carole L. Haines 

And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is his treasure. (Isaiah 33:6) 

This is one of my life verses. Scripture is too rich to have only one, and it seems He gives me new ones often. This one is for times of change. Change is an intricate part of the tapestry of our lives. It is woven into the fabric of our days. I am a creature who usually loves stability and comfortable predictability. But as I look around me in nature right now, change is one of the most beautiful parts. I see Leaves of color, bronzed fields of crops to be harvested, the enchanting sounds of geese flying South for the Winter. Rhythms of Change can be wonderful and exciting, or devastating and confusing. Gains or Losses, change brings both. I love the verse above. Let us look at it in context. 

Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. 
Be their strength every morning, 
Our salvation also in the time of distress. 
3 At the sound of a roar, peoples flee; 
At the lifting up of Yourself, nations disperse. 
4 Your plunder is gathered as the caterpillar gathers; 
Like an infestation of locusts, people storm it. 
5 The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; 
He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. 
6 And He will be the stability of your times, 
A wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; 
The fear of the Lord is his treasure. (Isaiah 33:2-6) 

Dramatic things were happening in Isaiah’s Scripture. Look at some of the words; infestation, distress, people fleeing, plundering. Yet amidst it all in this precious verse about God’s Stability. We try to create stability and security through many different human means, but only God can give true stability.  

One of the things that has been so precious to me lately is the fact that My Mom and Dad have moved back from the West Coast. They were gone for over 20 years and now I have them back here, it is so wonderful. But the rhythms of my life have changed dramatically, and I am getting adjusted to those changes. I retired from teaching a year ago and that was a dramatic change that left me feeling lost for a while. But then I grew accustomed to a new pattern of life. My husband felt led to bring us to a different church this past year and that was huge too. Many changes, but the one constant in all of life is God.  

Dear Believer, Let Him be the stability of your times. Whether the changes you are experiencing are pleasant or stressful, don’t try to create stability yourself. Lean more deeply into God and trust in His ability to create the stability you long for.  

Have a Blessed Day in Jesus.