Amid the maelstrom of crises and bitter divisions and inequality and politically charged turmoil we continue to be some of the silliest people on the planet. I mean for an entire day every year national focus swivels to ‘hear’ the prophetic voice of – are you ready for this? A groundhog! His prediction is famous, highly sought after, much photographed, written up in countless magazines and newspapers and every platform of social media. And why? To settle the burning question reportedly on everyone’s burdened mind – the duration of our current season of winter. I think the bounty of the entire spring tourism season must hinge on the accuracy of today’s findings. Shall we purchase a snow blower or plant flowers, keep the winter duvet on the beds with the flannel sheets or switch out to lighter blankets and the satin sheets, buy a few more cords of firewood or begin spring cleaning? Heady concerns, to be sure! The regularity of this inane, sea-to-shining-sea commotion has been spoofed in a film of today’s name and has made it synonymous with an ever-repeating cycle, the same-old, same-old, another day another dollar, etc.
But Christians live with a kind of Divine Groundhog Day! The unchanging, unchangeable, eternally-existing, Creator of the Universe, in whom Scripture tells us is not even a shadow* of turning, is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the God of the unshakeable Kingdom, the Author and Finisher of our faith, the Alpha and the Tau. His mercies are new morning after morning after morning after . . . His compassions are perpetually renewed. His faithfulness is infinite. Every day when our alarm rings, or a pet paws us out of sleep, or the kids get to work on the drum set, or the rooster crows, we emerge from the grip of the Sandman to yet another fresh set of twenty-four hours overflowing, just like yesterday and the day before that and the day before that with all the bounding goodness Jesus has reserved for us. That’s precious predictablilty!
*you’ll no doubt remember that today’s prophetic ‘word’ is actually a shadow.
