Hearing His Voice #130

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

Numbers 23:19

It begins with a dream in your heart, which then turns into a prayer. In conversation with God, the prayer may turn into a promise, which then becomes a hope and a battle of faith. Somewhere in that battle—filled with delays, twists, turns, and endurance—questions come to mind. Did He really say what I think He said? Do His promises in Scripture come with fine print? Did I blow it by sinning or by not having enough faith? Am I to move forward in faith or wait patiently in faith? Why is it taking so long? Did God get tired of waiting on me and change His mind?

When Balaam, the son of Beor, was summoned by the king of Moab to curse God’s chosen people, he had enough sense to ask God for His direction first. God’s words were instructive: He is not a human being, so He isn’t subject to the whims and fickleness of the human experience. He wouldn’t have called Israel if He had simply planned to abandon them or let them be cursed. He sees the end of a matter even from the beginning, so He doesn’t speak promises He will later have to renege on. He doesn’t lead us into wildernesses that end only in futility and frustration. He follows through on what He has said.

It’s true that God “changed” His mind in conversations with Abraham and Moses, but those were both instances of choosing mercy instead of impending judgment, and we get the sense that He had planned to honor their intercession all along. But He doesn’t withdraw His promises unless we’ve shown our hearts to be full of open rebellion. He compensates for our mistakes and sees His word to completion. He will do exactly as He has said.

Lord, my wilderness is long and painful. I’ve nearly lost faith. But You have never given Your word and then defaulted on it. I choose to trust Your goodness and believe Your promise.