If God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, why do we read where He relents at certain times?  We humans regard the word relent to mean soften a stance or just give in. 

                                    How can God change His mind?  
Biblically, to relent as related to God…. refers to His decision to suppress a course of action, especially in response to human repentance or intervention.  That’s because God is both merciful and just.

Let’s look at Jonah.  God commanded Jonah to preach to Ninevah about their impending demise. Jonah 3:10 states “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, God relented of the disaster. They repented, and God spared them.”  

God already knew they would repent.   God didn’t change but Nineveh did.  God responded to their repentance by the removal of their coming doom.   That is consistent with His character. 

This message continues in the New Testament.  The words we read revolve around repentance. 

 We might view ourselves as good people.  We haven’t murdered or stolen anything.  We are faithful to our spouses if married.  We read the Bible.  We pray.

Paul tells us that “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) Therefore what do we do now?

We also need repentance.  We need to ask forgiveness.  Perhaps not so much as what we do rather than what we don’t do!

Ask yourself:  Do I put God first in my life? Do I practice forgiveness if someone has done or said something bad about me?  Do I also say or have done something to hurt another?  Where are my real treasures? Have I been a disciple maker?

Because God is perfect for Him to change would mean His perfection is lacking in some way.  And perfection, by its very nature is not open to,  nor in need of change. 

God’s nature does not change.  It means that His love is forever; His promises are forever!

As King David so eloquently said, we rest in our immutable God as “our Rock and our Redeemer (Psalm 78:35)

                                           It’s now up to us!