When I watch a show, I have a major pet peeve. It’s when someone says, “I promise.”

It’s usually in a setting where a person is in distress because of a horrific situation. The protagonist leans down and looks into the victim’s eyes, and says, “I’ll come back for you, I promise.”

“I’ll fix this, I promise.”

I’m sure the protagonist has every intention of keeping their word, but so many times, it doesn’t work out. They don’t come back. They don’t fix it. Many times they die.

Now whenever I hear the words, “I promise” coming from a TV character, I yell at the screen. “Don’t make a promise. Don’t get their hopes up. You probably won’t keep it! You’re probably going to die!”

My mom is a woman of her word. She never says that she will do something if she has the slightest doubt that she can’t do it. Instead she says, “I’ll do my best.” She rarely says, “I promise” and when she does she will not stop until she accomplishes it.” Looking back, there is only one promise she didn’t keep. When I was a girl, my mom promised me the she would make me a sting ray stuffed animal. She was an excellent sewer, and often made my clothes. Life happened, chaos and trauma happened, upheaval happened. My family fled for our lives. The sting ray was the last thing on our minds. I think my mom had a great track record.

Have you been hurt by people who didn’t have a great track record? They gave you their word and didn’t follow through. Maybe they betrayed you. You trusted them and they let you down. Maybe they ended a relationship by their immoral decisions.

This world is broken and people are broken. That’s why we all need Jesus and the salvation He provides us. As we follow Him, we can gain strength that our God is completely unchanging.

God is unchanging.

God being unchanging means that He never differs from Himself. He doesn’t need to grow or develop. He is perfect so changes are unnecessary and impossible. When it is said that God is unchanging, it doesn’t mean that God can change but chooses not to. It means that God cannot change. He will always be the same. The revelation that we have in the Word of God is sufficient for knowing Him in the past, present, and future. Today and forever.

All that God is…He has always been…and all that He has ever been…is who He will ever be.

And all things as they change proclaim
The Lord eternally the same.
—Charles Wesley, author of over 6,500 hymns and a key figure in the Methodist movement

If we are to experience the life-changing power of Christ, we have to see God as He really is – not as we want Him to be or think He should be to gain our love and respect. That last part is so hard. Too many people lose faith when something bad happens and then they blame God for it. Theologian AW Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Today as we learn about our unchanging God, we may have to change our thinking about Him.

So let’s take a look at some Scripture that reveal that our God is unchanging.

Psalm 102:25-27 NIV
25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,
    and your years will never end.

Malachi 3:6-7 NIV
6 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.

Hebrews 13:6-8 NIV
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Our God is unchanging but he’s not inactive. He is not a stoic, impersonal, distant being. God dynamically interacts with His creation. Human beings bear His image, although broken by sin. When we trust in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, He restores that image. God is actively and lovingly involved with us.

You have to believe that God is unchanging.

You have to know that God is unchanging.

Why is this important?

Without knowing and believing, there is no basis for trust. When life gets hard, you’ll doubt His love. You won’t be able to put your full confidence in Him. When you trust Him, you can walk in the supernatural peace that only God can give.

Knowing that God is unchanging provides a solid foundation for faith, offering stability we need in a constantly changing world.

Call to Action:

How does knowing that God is unchanging make a difference in your life?
Ask God to show you an area in which you need to trust Him more. Ask Him to help you by the power of the Holy Spirit.