December 17
Psalm 89:1-4
1 I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
2 I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;
your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to my servant David:
4 ‘I will establish your descendants forever,
and build your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah
Joy in an Unchanging God
by Jason Vickers, Ph.D.
The fruit stand. It’s one of my strongest memories from my childhood in rural Georgia. Sitting just off the road in the middle of a sharp curve, if you didn’t know it was there, you’d miss it.
My mom and I were regulars. Once or twice a week, we’d swing by for a few ears of corn or a basket of strawberries. But what made the fruit stand so memorable was the old man. He lived next door to the little stand, which he ran without fail every summer. And without fail he would, upon my approach, offer me a butterscotch hard candy. To my mind, the old man was as permanent a fixture as anything in this world could be.
A few years ago, I decided to visit the old home place. It had been twenty-five years since my parents moved away and at least that long since I had been back. Holding my breath as I approached the curve, I searched in vain for the dirt driveway that led to the fruit stand. The old man’s home, the fruit stand, and even the deer camp across the road were long gone. It was as though they had never been.
A student and teacher of theology, I spend a lot of time thinking about God. And while some theologians today challenge and even reject traditional beliefs about God, I find such beliefs logically coherent and deeply compelling. For instance, I find it coherent and compelling that God is not subject to change. God is, to use an old word, simple. God is not composed of parts, and he therefore cannot come apart or be taken apart. Nor is God loving and good on Tuesdays, and hateful and evil on Wednesdays. God is not a mixture of light and darkness, good and evil. With God, there is not even the possibility of breaking bad. Further, we will not one day round the curve looking for God only to discover that he is no longer there. Everything else that we love may be subject to dissolution and decay, but God’s steadfast love endures forever. Even when we stray from God’s love and pursue all manner of other lovers, God’s love for us never changes. God may hide his face from us or discipline us but make no mistake – God loves us with an unfailing love, because God is love. And there is absolutely nothing that we can do to change that. Thus, the Psalmist summons us to sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever.
About the Author
Jason Vickers, Ph.D.
Jason Vickers serves as the inaugural holder of the William J. Abraham Chair of Wesleyan Studies within Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. A popular teacher, prolific author, and ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Vickers holds a Ph.D. from Southern Methodist University. Prior to joining Truett Seminary, Vickers taught at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. He also has taught at Austin College in Sherman, Texas; Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina; and United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Vickers has been a member of numerous editorial boards and is a past president of the Wesleyan Theological Society. Vickers is presently the editor of the Wesleyan Theological Journal.
Dr. Vickers is married with three children. He is an avid outdoorsman and a lifelong fan of classical country music.