Have you ever thought about this question: Does God ever change His mind? It sure looks like it in Jonah. God said Nineveh would be overthrown in forty days. Then the people were sorry, and God didn’t do it. So, did He change His mind? Not quite...and the answer is really cool once you see it.

Other parts of the Bible are clear that God doesn’t change. Numbers 23:19 says God isn’t like a person who changes his mind. Malachi 3:6 has God saying flat out, “I do not change.” And James 1:17 says there’s no shifting or shadow of turning in Him.

So what’s going on in Jonah? God’s warning always had an “unless” attached to it. His character never budged for a second: God has always been the kind of God who forgives people who turn back to Him. Nineveh changed. God didn’t. Think of it like a rule at your house. Your parents might say, “No dessert if your homework isn’t done.” If you finish your homework and get dessert, your parents didn’t change the rule. The rule stayed exactly the same but your actions changed what happened.

Sometimes the Bible describes God using human words like “relented” because that’s how it looks to us. God uses words we can understand to explain a God we can’t fully understand. You’ll never figure God out completely. He’s infinite, and your brain is not. But every single thing you learn about Him gives you one more reason to love Him.

Think About It: What would it feel like if God’s mood changed every day? What if He was caring one day and then harsh the next? Now think about the fact that He’s exactly the same today as He was for Jonah, for your grandparents, for your parents—and for you! What’s one thing about God you’re glad will never change?