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November 2
Morning
Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. — Mal 3:6 BSB
It’s a great comfort to know that amidst all the changes and uncertainties of life, there is One who is unchanging. His heart never falters, and time cannot touch Him. Everything else in creation changes—everything else is in a state of decay. Even the sun itself grows dim with age. The world is growing old, and soon the heavens and the earth will pass away.
But there is One who alone has immortality—whose years have no end, whose being knows no change. The satisfaction a sailor feels when, after days of being tossed on rough seas, he sets foot on solid ground again, is the same satisfaction a believer finds when, amidst life’s turmoil, he rests his faith on this truth: “I am the Lord, I do not change.” The anchor that holds a ship steady is like the hope of a Christian who trusts in this glorious fact.
“With Him there is no variation.” His power, His wisdom, His justice, and His truth are all unchanging.
He has always been the refuge of His people, their stronghold in times of trouble—and He remains their sure helper still.
He is unchanging in His love. He has loved His people with an everlasting love, and He loves them now just as much as ever. Even when this world passes away, His love will still be as fresh and strong as it was in the beginning. What a precious assurance it is to know that our God never changes! Though the wheel of providence may turn, its axle is eternal love!
Evening
Rage has taken hold of me because of the wicked who reject Your law. — Ps 119:53 BSB
My soul, do you feel a holy revulsion at the sins of others? If not, you lack inward holiness. David wept rivers of tears over the unholiness that surrounded him. Jeremiah longed for eyes like fountains, so that he could weep over the sins of Israel. Lot, a righteous man, was deeply troubled by the immorality and wickedness around him. In Ezekiel’s vision, those who were marked for safety were the ones who sighed and cried over the abominations committed in Jerusalem.
A gracious soul cannot help but grieve over how people rush headlong into destruction. Those who have experienced the evil of sin in their own lives are horrified to see others running toward it like moths to a flame. Sin makes a righteous person tremble, because it breaks a holy law that is in everyone’s best interest to keep—it tears down the very fabric of society. Seeing sin in others also reminds the believer of the vileness in his own heart. When he sees a notorious sinner, he says, “That could be me tomorrow!”
Sin is especially grievous to a believer because it crucified his Savior. In every sin, he sees the nails and the spear that pierced his Lord. How could a redeemed soul look at that sin without loathing?
My heart, do you feel this? It is a terrible thing to insult God to His face. He deserves better; He commands better; and He will one day repay those who defy Him. A heart awakened by grace trembles at the audacity of sin and stands in awe at the punishment it deserves. How monstrous rebellion is! How dreadful the punishment for the ungodly will be!
My soul, never make light of sin’s foolishness, or you might come to tolerate sin itself. Sin is your enemy and your Lord’s enemy—treat it with the hatred it deserves, for this is the evidence of true holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.