Testimony
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Solid Ground
by Jim Person
For I am the LORD, I change not.
Malachi 3:6a, KJV
In Him we have a solid footing. When I was a fisherman, my two brothers and I went on a fishing excursion that required us to stay on my oldest brother’s 30-foot (10-meter) boat for a few weeks while we fished for herring. We worked, ate, and slept on the boat during that time, all while being bounced around upon the waves.
After the first week, we became accustomed to the constant change and unstableness of the sea. When we finished fishing, we returned to the harbor and disembarked from the boat and walked again on solid ground. I remember that my legs felt wobbly, and my equilibrium was off. I actually felt uncomfortable on the shore, where I belonged. After a few days of staying on the land, I became accustomed to it, but the feeling of not belonging during those first days was unsettling.
The delight which the fisherman feels when, after having been bounced about upon the sea, he steps again upon the solid ground, is similar to the satisfaction of a believer when, amidst all the challenges of this life, he rests the steps of his faith upon this truth: “I am the Lord, I change not.”
In today’s unstable waters, what’s become your normal? Have you drifted out upon the sea of this world and now your legs wobble when you stand on the rock of your salvation? Do you feel unaccustomed to the truth, because of your acclimation to the bouncing seas? Do you feel distant from the Lord?
I encourage you to stand once again upon the solidity of Jesus in the safety and security of His harbor, for He is ‘the Lord who changes not.’ His power, His wisdom, His justice, His truth, are unchanged. He has ever been the refuge for you, your stronghold in the day of trouble, and He is your strong helper still. He is unchanged in His love.
The Scriptures say, ‘He has loved You with an everlasting love.’ He loves you now as much as He ever did, and when all the dross has melted away in the refiner’s fire, His love will still be the same as when you first stepped out of the boat with Him.
It’s a precious moment when we realize He changes not.
Jim Person Jim grew up in Alaska and from a small child commercial fished every summer with his family. God called him, his wife Tanya, and their four children to move to Hungary as missionaries in 2003. God then led him to join Ellel Ministries in 2005. After serving in various positions with Ellel in Central and Eastern Europe, God led them back to the United States, where he is now serving with the Ellel USA team. Jim and Tanya have a passion to see leaders restored, the church discipled and walking in God’s fullness of life and freedom. They also love mentoring the existing and developing Ellel teams wherever God leads them. Jim also has a real gift for working with the land to create a beautiful and welcoming environment.
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