Does God Change His Mind

I have heard so many times, over the years, that God does not change His mind. I always want to ask the people who say that if they've ever actually read the Bible. Of course, I know most of them have, but the ludicrousy of them making that statement makes me want to ask. There are multiple scriptures that speak of God changing His mind, but the people I've heard say He doesn't are the ones who love the phrase, "God is the same yesterday, today and forever." While that statement is totally true, that does not mean that God does not change His mind.

In Genesis 18, Abraham is visited the Lord and some angels. God tells Abraham that he and Sarah are going to have a child, and as He is leaving He talks to Himself, as it were, and asks if all the world will be blessed through the children of Abraham, should He speak to Abraham about the destruction of the cities. After His conversation with Himself, He does speak to Abraham about it.

So, God tells Abraham that the stench of the sin of those two cities had reached Him and He was going into the city to determine if their sin was truly as bad as the stench and if so, He would destroy them. Abraham was moved to intercede on behalf of the cities because his nephew, Lot, along with his wife and daughters, lived in Sodom. So he asked God, 'what if there are 50 righteous in the city?' God said for 50 He would not destroy the city. Abraham said, 45? God said, not if there are 45. Abraham spoke again, 40? 30? 20? 10? God said, if there are 10 I will not destroy it, and then He left Abraham's presence so Abraham couldn't get Him down to 5. Had Abraham asked for 5 and God agreed, the cities would still be there, today. So, yes, man can talk God into changing His mind.

There's another example of God changing His mind, though. After the Ascension, Peter was praying and God showed Peter a vision of a large sheet descending from heaven filled with creatures which the Law said were unclean and were not to be touched or eaten. God told Peter, "take, eat." Peter wouldn't do it because nothing unclean had ever touched his lips. God told Peter to not call unclean that which God had called clean. So, wait. In the Law God called them unclean. But in Peter's vision God called them clean. What? God changed His mind.

Here's my point: people want to use certain passages of scripture in order to hold on to their personal predilections, or biases. Anyone can take a single scripture and use it to justify their bias. Or their ideas. And it mainly happens when we want to condemn someone over something we think they should not be doing. I use the example of Peter's vision of the sheet because it's a beautiful example of life before and after Christ. Before Christ was The Law of Moses. All the rules and regulations of the Law were there to try to make the people righteous. Of course, without a sacrifice for sin, sin could not be forgiven, so the best thing to do was to stay away from anything that might cause you sin. After Christ, however, no longer being under the Law, but under grace, we don't have to worry about most of those rules and regulations. And God was telling Peter two things: first whatever was forbidden to touch or eat under the Law was no longer forbidden, but also because before Christ the Gentiles were called unclean but after Christ all people are called to be God's children.

Before Christ, all Jewish people were under the Law. Every single person born a Jew was subject to the Law. After Christ, people get to choose to be under grace. It's an individual's choice to be saved. It's not a mandate of Law. It's a choice to receive the free gift that God has given us. If it's an individual choice then it's an individual relationship. If it's an individual relationship then it's between the person and God. No one else has any input. Yes, there are things that need to be done, but it's between the individual and God. No other person enters into it. What God has called clean, let no one call it unclean.

Blessings

Someone I knew once made the statement, to me, that they did not understand why I didn't have more than I had, or wasn't blessed the way they thought I should be considering how much I help others. You see, they were looking at my material belongings and my standing in society to determine if I was blessed the way they thought people should be blessed who follow Jesus' command to help others.

And the philosophy behind the "prosperity gospel" movement is pretty much the same. Those who believe in that type of Christianity look at my socio-economic standing and think that I must not be obeying God's commandment because I don't have material wealth. They fail to see the underlying truth of my living, however. God provides all my need. Miracles happen whenever I'm truly in need. Though I may not know where it's going to come from, the need is always met, in time. On time. Always.

But, blessings don't measure up to earthly possessions, only. And I'll never have a bank account with 5 or 6 figures. I'll never own a portfolio. Those are signs of storing treasures on earth. I have no need for such. Everything God gives me, I use what I need and the rest I pass along to those who are less fortunate. Yes, there are plenty less fortunate than I. All my need is met. Every day. So, if I have excess funding, I give to to those who don't have everything they need. See, God blesses me, and I turn around and answer their prayer for their need with what God has given me. It's another example of God answering their prayer. No, God didn't give it to them 'miraculously.' But, He did provide their need. By blessing me, I bless them and that Blesses Him.

That person who made that statement to me believes only those who have large bank accounts, paid for homes and fancy, brand new cars are truly being blessed by God. I don't need a brand new car. Would it be nice to have one? Sure, but I don't NEED one. I have what I need. My vehicle gets me where I need to go. It's 15 years old but it still gets me there in comfort and without worry. No, I don't get to go on fancy vacations or visit far off locations, but I don't need those things. I get to visit my family when I need to. I even get to visit friends in other locations when I need to. But, it's about my need, not about my want. And God only promised to provide my daily need. And He does. Each and every day.

I truly do have more than I need. I have possessions that there is no common sense way to explain how I have them. But, by being obedient to God's Word, giving to those who are in need when I have the ability to do so, God turns around and grants me things that make my life a little more comfortable. It's not a check in the mail, it's an entertainment center that someone was going to throw away. Or it's finding a slightly damaged light fixture at the county dump that I can repair and put in my home. Those are just as big a blessing to me as a check in the mail. Maybe even more so. For me, cash is only good, and valuable, for what it can do for others. Cash under the mattress or a 6 figure checking account isn't helping anyone. To me, that makes it worthless. It's not doing anyone any good laying under the mattress or showing up as numbers on a spreadsheet.

Yes, God has truly blessed me far and above what I could have ever hoped or imagined. More importantly, He meets my daily need. Without fail. Without fanfare. But, He always gets the Glory!