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February 23rd, 2023
Scripture
Devotion
“My word is my bond,” we hear someone say, but we demand that the person sign the contract anyway. Why? Because we know people. Because we know that the word of people can’t always be trusted. Even when people have good intentions, we know that they don’t always come through. They say they will do one thing, but then they go out and do something different. All too often, the word of people turns out to be nothing more than a big fat lie.
We also know that people change their minds. We know that what a person said six months ago may no longer hold today. We know that we better confirm what they said, because the likelihood of a change is high. Anyone who makes major shifts in their lives on the basis of what someone said six months ago is taking a big risk. All too often, the terms and conditions we thought were in effect turn out to have changed.
On the other hand, it’s not like that with God. God always come through. God always does what He says and what He promises He will do. God said He would bless the ancient Israelites, and Balak, the Moabite king who wanted them cursed, could not get the prophet Balaam to change God’s mind—no matter how many bulls and rams he sacrificed (Numbers 23-24). That’s why God gave Balaam the words of our verse for today to speak to Balak. You can’t bribe God. You can’t force Him to change what He said He would do.
What about the passages of Scripture that seem to teach God changed His mind? Such “changes” almost always occur in the context of God’s people praying for something. Through Isaiah God told King Hezekiah that he was going to die, but God added fifteen years to Hezekiah’s life after he prayed to God (Isaiah 38). In such cases, God isn’t talked into changing anything. He just does what He promised His people all along—that He would respond positively to their proper prayers (Matthew 7:7). God’s plans have already taken into consideration the prayers His people will pray.
In the final analysis, then, you can count on God. You can count on the blessings He has promised His people. That’s why James said, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
Inspirational Image of the Day
