No Shadow of Turning

 The word ‘holy’ is all about being set apart. So when we talk of the holiness of God we immediately think of just how much higher and greater God is than any of us. And pondering His grandeur, power and splendour is indeed a great way to begin thinking about God as ‘holy’. But when we think about the ways that He is set apart and matchless, we mustn’t stop just at themes of grandeur and glory. We must also start to think about other attributes of the nature and character of God in which He is totally incomparable and matchless. One of those qualities fascinating my heart right now is the theme of steadfastness and faithfulness.

In a world where all others may falter or fail, He remains constant. When we are inconsistent, still He remains utterly dependable and steadfast. Life is ever fragile and changeable; He stands solid and secure. Our God is unshakeable, unchanging, unwavering, unfading, unfaltering, unswerving, and unending. And all of this is a part of His holiness – for in being so utterly faithful and so eternally unchanging, He is completely beyond compare. As He ever was, He is today, and ever will be. As the old hymn puts it, “There is no shadow of turning with Thee.”

The God we worship is everything He says He is. This is good news for our world. Every day the newspapers reveal a fresh scandal – politicians’ finances, or a leader of some kind caught in unfaithfulness. And we need look no further than our lives to find a person who is not altogether consistent and everything they hope or claim to be. We add to that the uncertainties of this world – for example the failing of the financial markets, which we’ve been witnessing for a while now. These economic struggles remind us once again that so many things we readily put our trust in are not in the end very trustworthy. People can be flaky, and the fabric of society so delicate and fragile. And then, in contrast, we see our God. All these uncertainties just go to highlight just how set apart He is in His steadfastness and sturdiness. Not only is He the opposite these things, but He is the antidote and the answer for them too. When all around is sinking sand, He is solid ground – a firm foundation we can confidently build our lives upon.

I have a passion right now for ‘songs of stability’ – worship music so full of God’s faithfulness, trustworthiness and reliability. The theme on my heart has been from Psalm 62:

“My soul finds rest in God alone… He alone is my rock and salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken”.

The psalmist sings of God’s ‘solid as a rock’ nature, and as result is convinced He will not be shaken. That’s a dynamic we often see in worship. We sing of the wonders of our God – but as well as rising to His throne, the ‘truth-songs’ we sing of become embedded deep in our hearts, minds and souls. And before long, our whole outlook on life has changed.

Matt is married to Beth and they have four children; Maisey, Noah, Rocco and Jackson. Based in Atlanta they are part of a team starting 'Passion City Church' with pastors Louie and Shelley Giglio. Matt's songs include 'Heart of Worship,' 'Blessed be Your Name,' 'Never let go' and 'Dancing Generation.' His new album 'We shall not be shaken' is now available. For more information visit www.mattredman.com