It’s Thanksgiving week. Preparations have started here at our house with at least the food shopping being mostly done. This morning I have found myself humming a song, the words floating through my thoughts …
What a difference a day makes
Twenty-four little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers
Where there used to be rain.
(from the song, What a Difference a Day Makes by Renee Olstead)
This is what occurs when you have grown up in a home, with parents, who enjoyed the variety shows which were on television years ago. As I hummed, my heart was filled with gratitude for the faithfulness of our God over this past year. Truly we can say, “What a difference a year makes!”
As Jesus is brought before the high priest to be charged, He is asked, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61, NLT) And He replies:
“I AM. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
In that moment, Jesus did not only state who He was or who He will be. He stated who He is. He used a verb tense which means continually and presently. In saying, “I Am”, He declares:
- “I am the same God who was with Moses and the people in the wilderness.”
- He will be seated at the right hand of His Father.
- He will one day return in all of His glory.
Today it is His first declaration which is filling my heart with deep gratitude. He is the very same God, who was with Moses and the Israelites as they traveled in and through the wilderness those forty years. They may have felt like they were alone but the truth is – He was with them every step of the way.
And He is the same today.
He is with us in our wilderness. He is with us when we feel like we are alone. And He gives us exactly what we need to come through …
“You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing.” (Nehemiah 9:20-21, NLT)
He will be the “I AM” throughout every single generation throughout all time. Who He was to them, He is to you, and will be to our children and grandchildren.
And He makes all the difference in our lives!
Today I am joining … Testimony Tuesday and Unite and True Story and #RaRaLinkup and Reflect .
Praise God He is the same today! What a difference He makes indeed.
This is lovely. May I invite you to linkup with the DanceWithJesus Linkup at SusanBMead.com/blog to bless someone there too?
I’m your neighbor today at the RaRaLinkup.
Susan
Susan, thank you for the invite as I did come & join 🙂
Yes, I am thankful that He never changes, thankful His new mercies every morning that I can count on, thankful that He is coming back and put an end to the evilness all over the world. Happy Thanksgiving.
So much to be thankful for – all wrapped up in the person of our Savior.
Joanne, thank you for this wonderful reminder. I loved reading this again: “You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing†(Nehemiah 9:20-21, NLT). What a wonderful Father we have.
Isn’t that just an incredible portion of Scripture! “They lacked nothing.” May we trust Him for all things & in all things.
Reading this raised some more thoughts for me Joanne
“The Lord is the Game Changer, when He steps in all the lost years are recovered. He alone is the difference maker!”
Thank you for this lovely devotional.
God Bless
Thank you for sharing your thoughts as well, Ifeoma. He alone is the difference maker. May we let Him make the difference. Blessings!
What a gorgeous picture! Yes, the Lord is the Great I AM, the same yesterday and today and forever. Thanks for sharing this!
Grateful you stopped here, Angela. He alone is the One who never changes but is able to change all things.
Yes, I am thinking about the many Bible stories where a day made quite a difference, all the way from Genesis to Revelation. I also love that song, what a difference a day makes. It can make a big difference if we were “Once lost,” but now we are “Found.” Thank you for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.
Hazel, a day can make a difference. And each day can be different than the one before. No wonder He tells us to commit each of our days to Him. So glad you shared. Blessings!