The Immortal Now: Finding Steadfast Hope in the Eternity of God
In a world where everything seems to age, break, or fade and where relationships strain, bodies weaken, and the news churns out fresh reasons to despair, there is one truth that gives lasting peace to the weary soul: God is eternal. Isaac Watts, with poetic clarity and theological weight, leads us to contemplate this magnificent truth in his hymn “The Eternity of God,” based on Psalm 90:2, Lamentations 5:19, and Habakkuk 1:12.
“Lord, raise my soul above the ground,
And draw my thoughts to thee…”
This prayer in the opening stanza is the heartbeat of true worship. Watts isn’t interested in religious noise or mere sentiment. He’s asking God to elevate his mind and affections and to pull his soul out of the muck of temporal concerns and lift it heavenward. And why? So he can dwell on the greatness of “the eternal Three.” If your hope has been anchored to things that rust and rot, this is a much-needed refocusing.
God Before All
“Long ere the lofty skies were spread,
Jehovah filled his throne…”
Watts draws from Psalm 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth… from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” There was never a time when God was not. He didn’t become God, and He doesn’t evolve. Before time, before atoms, before angelic songs, God was there, sufficient and reigning. This isn’t abstract theology. This is a rock to plant your feet on when everything else slips out from under you.
The Unchanging Nature of God
“His boundless years can ne’er decrease,
But still maintain their prime…”
God is not like us. He doesn’t decline with age. He doesn’t get tired, confused, or surprised. His purposes aren’t delayed. As Habakkuk 1:12 says, “Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die.” God’s eternality is not just about His existence, but about His unchanging character. His wisdom, justice, mercy, and truth don’t wear thin. They are fresh, full, and always at their peak.
God Is the Ever-Present “Now”
“He fills his own immortal NOW…”
This is perhaps the most mind-blowing line of the hymn. We’re used to living moment to moment. Time slips through our fingers like water. But God doesn’t move from past to present to future. He simply is. He sees all of time with perfect clarity, never missing a moment, never bound by it. That means nothing in your life has escaped His notice; not your wounds, not your prayers, not your sins, and not your sufferings. He’s not late. He’s not rushed. He is present with you now, fully and eternally.
So what does this mean for counseling?
When anxiety threatens, we anchor in His unchanging presence.
When grief overwhelms, we rest in His unbreakable promises.
When sin entangles, we look to His eternal mercy in Christ.
When conflict comes, we remember: His kingdom is forever.
At Radiant Hope, we don’t just offer advice; we open the Word of the Eternal One and help people find their footing in His timeline, not just their own. You weren’t made to live chained to the ticking clock of this world. You were made to walk with the God who always is.
Let’s set our minds above the ground, as Watts put it. Let’s learn to praise the eternal Three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with reverence, hope, and confidence.
Need help anchoring your soul in God’s truth? Reach out to us at Radiant Hope Biblical Counseling. We’d be honored to walk with you.
