Everlasting God

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place
   throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born
   or you brought forth the whole world,
   from everlasting to everlasting you are God."

Psalm 90:1-2

Christmas Decoration  The wreath hangs on my door every year at this time, heralding the birth of a Savior who came to earth over 2000 years ago.  It's gold encrusted crimson ribbon winds elegantly around the inner rim, ending in a bow placed at the top, slightly off center.  Tiny colorful birds sing the praises of our God and King as they peak out shyly from the evergreen needles. 

Everlasting  Wreaths are probably one of the most popular trimmings Americans use to decorate their homes for the Christmas season.  But the wreath is more than a decoration.  As an unbroken, continuous circle, it symbolizes the everlasting nature of God.  

No Beginning  The birth of a baby is one of the most joyous of all events in a couple's life together.  There is something so sacred and beautiful in ushering a new life into the world.  I remember as a child growing up on a small farm witnessing the birth of calves and marveling at the perfectly formed hooves and big round eyes framed irresistibly with long feathery eyelashes.  I could watch the babies forever as they seemed to know exactly what to do from the moment they left the mother's womb.  Everything I am familiar with has a beginning.  This is why the concept of God's eternal nature is so difficult to grasp.  God has always existed. . . there is no beginning to the entity of God.  John 1 begins with the description of God the Son identified as the Word.  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."  Time is part of God's creation.  Everything that is created has a beginning, but the One who did the creating has always been.

No End  There's an old English proverb that says, "All good things must come to an end."  Anyone who has enjoyed  a good time with friends, a restful vacation or an enjoyable visit with family can attest to the truth of that saying.  But God, being outside of time, never comes to an end.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)  As a young child learning the concept of infinity as it relates to numbers, I remember standing out in my backyard staring up into the bright blue sky and trying to imagine counting and counting, but never reaching the end.  It hurt my brain. 

Trustworthy  So what does this mean to me?  How can it change the way I live my life? No matter how uncertain the future is in our eyes, God will remain as the Everlasting Father.  I can count on the One who has always existed and will never die.  Everything else I might put my trust in; my husband, my bank account, my intellect, my health. . . they will each come to an end at some point.  It is a risky investment to put all my trust into any one of these people or things.  Trusting in God, on the other hand, is a sound investment because He is not constrained by time or limited in power.

As I begin this day, my prayer is that I will put all of my hope in the One who will never let me down.

How does knowing that God has no beginning or end change my concept of Him?

As a being with a beginning and an end who lives in a world filled with the temporary and limited, where am I putting my full trust?