King of Ages

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
    or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:1-2

“I the Lord do not change” Malachi 3:6

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is… from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17

God the King rules as commander and authority over all time past present future, over young and old, reigning over His kingdom with perfection, goodness, and wisdom. Age to age, in the ebb and flow and upheavals of human history, and in the course of years for every person, He is not altered. Through every shift of change and shadow, God remains immovable, unchanging.

Seasons of life for mankind are marked by constant change, in mental and physical and occupational growth, aptitude and opportunity, place and experience, times of plenty and want, sickness and health, highs and lows. King Solomon understood this well, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.“ (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

As fickle people who prefer to control our environment, we can be upset by changes out of our control. Shocking news, a startling diagnosis, a sudden disappointment, a surprising turn of events at work or home. Any number of situations can topple our carefully-built order and unmoor security and happiness. Turning from turmoil to look up and remember the God of ages recenters our focus and fortifies our bearings.

In unsettling flux, or unknown days ahead, will we find steadiness and certainty in our unchanging Lord? Will we choose to trust Him with the ages and stages of our children and others we love, young and middle-aged and old? He is our constant, He is our stay, in every season. When we trust in Him, we are kept at peace. From age to age, He is the same, faithful to His own and working good in all things. What grounding, what hope, what calm does this afford us today? The One who has been faithful thus far will lead us through every age, and home. (Isaiah 26:3; Romans 8:28; Philippians 4:6-7)

“Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:

Under the shadow of your throne
Your saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is your arm alone,
And our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood
Or Earth received her frame,
From everlasting you are God,
To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in your sight
Are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the op’ning day.

Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guard while troubles last
And our eternal home.” ~Isaac Watts (1719)

Lord, keep me tethered, trusting, and praising You through every age, to Your glory.