But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working" (John 5:17).
And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for "In him we live and move and have our being"; as even some of your poets have said, "For we are indeed his offspring" (Acts 17:26-28).
Sometimes we are frustrated because it seems that some people or some situations never seem to change; just ask a resident of Israel or one trapped in poverty or abuse. And yet, one of the absolute certainties of life is change. If we sit and do absolutely nothing, change will come; it cannot be escaped. I am reminded of a line from the old hymn, Abide With Me: Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me. God is the only one who can make inevitable change work for his purposes.
God is the principal dynamic of change. Being sovereign, all other dynamics of change are subject to him. What is necessary is not that God is on our side, but that we are found on God's side so that when change comes it can be viewed as a blessing, no matter how much it hurts. God is always working so that his purposes will be accomplished. And, God is always working whether we believe in him or not! So, I have always tried to assure my counselees that, even if they are atheists, change will come because God is the dynamic of change so begin looking for it first in one's self.
Grace&Peace,
Tom
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