“As Good As He’s Ever Been”

Powered by a dominant shutout performance from veteran pitcher Chris Sale, the Atlanta Braves edged the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 on Thursday evening, capping an impressive series sweep of the defending champs.

Sale, who turned 37 earlier this season, has continued to amaze the baseball community with his elite performances at this advanced stage of his career. 

Thursday’s outing marked Sale’s 21st consecutive start giving up three or fewer runs, an impressive stretch for a player of any age. He currently sits second in all of MLB in ERA, giving up a mere 2.06 earned runs per nine innings pitched. 

Against the Dodgers, Sale also topped triple digits with his fastball for the first time in over eight seasons. Somehow, his stuff seems to be getting better with age rather than diminishing.

Or as his manager Walt Weiss put it, “You can make an argument that, as great a career as he's having, he's as good now as he's ever been. It's mind-boggling.”

As followers of Jesus, one of the greatest truths we should constantly remind ourselves of is that our God never changes, diminishes, or grows weary with the passing of time.

God is self-existent and unaffected by the passage of time, since He exists outside of time.

Isaiah 40:28 (ESV) states, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.”

This verse should be incredibly encouraging news to those of us who are trusting in Christ for salvation. As Christians, we know that our God is not slowing down or losing His abilities as the years progress. Rather, He is constant and unchanging.

In other words, “He’s as good now as He’s ever been.”

The Bible is filled with verses that remind us of God's unchanging nature. 

Malachi 3:6 (NIV) says, “I, the LORD, do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”

James 1:17 (NASB) reminds us, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

Of course, the fact that God never changes in His nature does not mean that He will always deal in the same way in every circumstance.

For example, we see many stories in the Bible of people who receive miraculous deliverance from perilous situations. We also, however, see numerous stories of people martyred for their faith.

Though the result on earth may have differed for various people who experienced suffering in the Bible, God’s nature and character never varied in any of those circumstances. He was always good, always faithful, and always caring for His people, whether by their deliverance in life or their deliverance in death. 

The good news for us today is that, as we read these incredible stories in the Bible, we can be encouraged by the fact that the same God who was at work then is our ever-present help today.

In other words, despite our constant sins and failings, He has not grown short on mercy. When we call out to Him in prayer, He hasn't lost His ability to hear or act. And even when we are unfaithful to Him, He will always remain faithful because that’s who He is (2 Timothy 2:13).

Today, let's have our hearts stirred by the fact that our God is “as good as He’s ever been.” The same God that we read about in our Bibles is the same God who is working all things together for good for those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Let's always remember, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8; ESV).

I’m Matt Osborne, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you that You are constant and unchanging in Your nature. I rejoice in the fact that I can always depend on You to act in a way that is consistent with Your nature. Please help me to better trust in You and to emulate Your faithfulness in how I conduct my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.