One day, I spoke at length with an elderly man, who told me of his long career in the Canadian civil service. It had been years since his retirement, yet his memory was sharp as he recounted the departments in which he had served, the policies and decisions that had been made, the important political people with whom he had interacted, and the influence that he had enjoyed. After he left, I pondered on the fact that I had never heard of his defunct government departments, for which all the files prepared in his day had been boxed away or shredded, forgotten to all except him and his surviving co-workers. It made me think of the old coat folded up, worn out, and laid away on a shelf, spoken of in the book of Hebrews:

“But he says to the Son, You’re God, and on the throne for good; your rule makes everything right. You love it when things are right; you hate it when things are wrong. That is why God, your God, poured fragrant oil on your head, marking you out as king, far above your dear companions. And again to the Son, You, Master, started it all, laid earth’s foundations, then crafted the stars in the sky. Earth and sky will wear out, but not you; they become threadbare like an old coat; You’ll fold them up like a worn-out cloak, and lay them away on the shelf. But you’ll stay the same, year after year; you’ll never fade, you’ll never wear out.” (Hebrews 1:8-12 MSG)

In this beautiful picture, God the Father and God the Son are moving about and interacting with each other in an eternal dance of divinity. The Son of God is given amazing attributes belonging only to God Himself, the Creator of earth and the heavenly bodies. He was alive before creation, and participated in the making of our planet, over which He now rules in sovereign power. He is unchanging, always glorious, always in control, for ever and ever.

How often has our attention shifted from the amazing vision of God the Father and God the Son, to be focused instead on a job, a responsibility, a hobby, or a passion? Has your career become your identity and obsession? Have you realized that it will one day fade, wear out, and crumble, to a place where no one remembers it anymore? Lift your eyes to the One Who is eternal, ever new, ever beautiful, and ever creating, and have your faith and vision renewed every morning.

Prayer: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; Your mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness, O Lord; great is Your faithfulness (adapted from Edith McNeill). We thank You, Lord, for the great gift of Your Son and for Your never-ending power and grace. Amen.

Shirley Moulton
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Reprinted with author’s permission from PresbyCan