Does God Change His Mind?

CHANGE means shifting, altering, becoming different, etc. But when it comes to the subject matter of “God changing His mind”, it becomes a different ball game entirely as my definition of change seems to not tally with what I think scripture says, how can God in whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning change His mind? But didn’t the scripture say He did? Let’s look at this contradiction (as I choose to term it) together:

The Living Bible Translation of Numbers 23:19a says “God is not a man, He doesn’t lie; He doesn’t change His mind….” And then Exodus 32:14a TLB says exactly the opposite “So the Lord changed His mind….” How can the simple phrase “change of mind” become so big to dissect? But I found solace in the knowledge of the fact that His way is higher than my ways and His thoughts than my thoughts. Are you also in this dilemma that I found myself? One scripture says He doesn’t change His mind, then we read He changed His mind. Whatever is happening is your mind right now – here is the good news! I got the answer and I want to share it with you.

The Nature of God

To understand the unchanging or changing attributes of someone, you must first look at the nature of such a one; this is always the determining factor. From the scriptures, we are convinced that the nature of God is LIGHT and LOVE (1 John 4:8). Every other attribute stems out from this reality/nature, from love comes patience, kindness. And from light comes understanding. Understanding in this regard portrays God as the all-knowing, this means that He knows all things, He already knows all that you will do and has therefore made provisions for your choices; there are ready-made consequences for every choice that you make. 

For example, if we decide to excuse God from our lives, we are leaving the protection of God and choosing not to participate in all His benefits and promises. Does God just leave us? No. He is merciful and kind and watches over us. In Matthew 5:45 it says, “He is kind to all by bringing the sunrise to warm and rainfall to refresh whether a person does what is good or evil.” (TPT)  But when we reject God, we reject His benefits, the fullness of His blessings. 

On the other hand, if we choose to repent of our disobedience and turn to God, we will as well have what He has already promised (peace, salvation, eternal life). It therefore all boils down to the promises of God.

Standing on the Assured Promises of God

From our initial text, Numbers 23:19 TLB “God is not a man, that He should lie, He doesn’t change His mind like humans do. Has He ever promised without doing what He said?” We understand that God cannot lie nor does He utter a promise He is not capable or willing to fulfil.

Dear friend, the promises of God to you are eternal, whatever He has said is from an eternal perspective. There is that which God has promised before time began as a response to every choice that man makes, and GOD DOES NOT and will never CHANGE HIS PROMISES. There is however the good promise and the bad promise. What we perceive as God changing His mind is basically because we are limited to the human perspective of what change means. The truth is; God is in a state of rest as of now, He has called forth all that need to be in existence for our sustenance in the first 6 days as recorded in the book of Genesis 2:2 KJV. 

My response to God is what provokes His response, that is, it is what chooses for me what promise I am privileged to partake of (Deuteronomy 28). If you look in-depth at all the promises the Lord made to King David, you will realise to a large extent that the choice of inheriting all that God has in store for him was in his own very hands. His choice/response to the demands of obedience to righteousness is what eventually allowed or disallowed him from partaking from the good promises of God.

I must, however, emphasise here that it is the desire of God that we all obtain His good promises, hence His continual patience and supply of so much grace and mercy as in the case of Nineveh; Jonah 3:10 TLB “When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways; He changed His mind and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened”. 

“They putting a stop to their evil ways” was them making a choice and as such an exchange of promise ensued, the former punishment they were supposed to have was reverted and then the bible described this as “God changing His mind”. Dear friend, the fact that God changes His treatment of you in response to your choices has nothing to do with His character. He is unchanging in His nature, His plan and His being, He cannot one day be pleased with the meek and the next day chose not to be. His response is always directly proportional to your choices. But in His response is embedded so much patience.

What to Do When You Feel God has Changed His Mind

We understand that patience is the ability/capacity to tolerate delay, problems or sufferings without becoming annoyed or anxious. This is exactly God’s disposition to humanity; He is relentlessly waiting for you to come to the recognition of the choice He desires you to make, acceptance of that choice and consequently the execution of such choice. This way, His good promises will forever find expression in your life. And guess what, He is never tired of being patient with you.

He uses every available medium to show you mercy and supply you with grace to do the needful. Going back to the story of Nineveh, the Lord could have decided to destroy them already as their wickedness had already spiralled out of bound (Jonah 1:2), but in His patience and mercy, He kept reaching out to them. Another great instance of God’s patience was when Moses and Aaron interceded for the people of Israel, the scripture recorded that God changed His mind and spared them. (Exodus 32:14).

Having understood the concept of God changing His mind, you must understand that He only does such in favour of humanity and never against us; it’s His eternal desire/wish that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. (3 John 2)

Yet another instance was when Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed, the Lord could have implemented the destruction without informing Abraham about it, but He chose to. I am more than sure that if Abraham had continued interceding until he mentioned just one righteous man; the Lord would have spared them. But again, because He cannot deny His word He had to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. 

God is Eternal and His Thoughts of Good for you are Eternal and Cannot Change

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, your God is eternal, your God is light, in Him is no darkness at all and therefore He would not do evil. He does not and He will never change the promises He has made unto you, especially when you are a member of His body. In fact, He is always intentional about causing all things to work together for your good, so never, ever think that if He has promised to do something for you, He will change His mind. 

The only person that can cause a change in the fulfilment of the promise is you and you alone, and even at that, His mercies still endure forever. All I am saying to you today is that God is ever constant, you are always the variable. It is therefore expedient that you make a decision to forever remain on the Lord’s side, make a decision to be faithful to doing His bidding and heeding to His instructions, this will forever result in you being an eternal partaker of all His good promises.  

Remember, He said He has put before you life and death. He, however, didn’t stop there; He further instructed that you choose life. It is all a function of your choice; your choices are what determine the changing or unchanging ability of God. Also remember, that He is full of mercy and His nature is love, so never conclude that He doesn’t love you, He is impatient towards you, that His counsel for you is dependent on His mood. Never you conclude that He’ll change His mind towards you. NO!!! He has already given you assurance from His word, hear what He said “For I am the Lord, I do not change. That is why you are not already utterly destroyed, for my mercy endures forever” Malachi 3:6 (TLB)

Prayers for Encouragement

Have you been struggling thinking why would God care about you? Have you got difficulty to come back to God because you think you have messed up so much, He would never accept you? Have you been told the lie that God is the One Who punishes?

If you have all these questions or more, draw to the Lord and He will draw to you. There is no rejection in God’s character, but only acceptance.

I admonish you to say these prayers:

1) Father, I am reassured of your love for me, I choose to bask in the euphoria of this love

2) Father, I am convinced that you have me in mind, I repent of my ignorance so far and I walk with patience even as You do

3) Father, give me grace to always choose Your ways, thereby obtaining Your promise

Helpful Articles:

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• Choices, Choices, Choices – Prophetic Word
• Life is Short Make the Most Out of It