I Change Not
A little boy builds his castle of sand on the beach, taking great care
to form every part according to the detail of his childish imagination. But
when the tide comes in his castle is washed away, and he cries like his heart
is broken. We smile at such a sight, and laugh at the child's folly. Yet, we
are much like the little boy. We build our castles of brick and mortar. We
spend our lives to secure them for ourselves. And we take so much pleasure in
them. But soon our castles of sand will be washed away in the strong tide. The
point is this--We dare not seek real, lasting, substantial joy in the perishing
things of this world! Those who do will find only eternal pain and misery.
True joy
is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Trusting Christ as our Savior and King,
we rely upon his Word as the grounds of our joy. The Apostle says, "These
things (the Scriptures) write we unto you, that your
joy may be full." (I John 1:4) Take the Book of God and distill it down
into one word---it is Christ. Jesus Christ is the Living Word of whom the
written Word speaks. And he is our joy. The great cause of our joy specifically
is, "Our fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
The worldling is happy when the happenings
around him are pleasant. But our joy, is in the
unchanging God. Therefore, it should not be affected by those things which
surround us. Our joy comes not from what we have but what we are, the sons of
God; not from where we are, but whose we are! Let us resolve at all times to
rejoice in the Lord our strength, and to joy in the God of our salvation (Hab.
Don Fortner