“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8
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During the 2023 NCAA softball season, Oklahoma — ranked first in the nation — lost to unranked Baylor. Social media commenters were quick to criticize and kiss the season goodbye. Yet the very next week, OU beat UCLA, the new top-ranked team, and commenters changed their tune, claiming they never doubted the greatest team.
When our faith is based on the ever-changing world, circumstances or opinions of others, we will live on a roller coaster of emotions. But unchanging faith is based on an unchanging God.
We see this faith when Paul was arrested for preaching about Jesus and ended up shipwrecked on a strange island. While gathering firewood, a viper bit him. “When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.’ But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. … [A]fter waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god” (Acts 28:4-6).
People assumed Paul was a murderer, but the next minute he was a god. He could have believed one and been destroyed by doubt, or believed the other and been destroyed by pride. Instead, Paul knew exactly who he was because he knew his Creator and his purpose. The changing thoughts of others didn’t change his plan or his hope.
In a world that’s always changing, cling to the God who never does.
— Sarah Roberts, University of Oklahoma softball chaplain
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