“If you don’t like something, change it.” You’ve probably heard that before. In fact, much of life involves changing— through the phases of our kids’ lives, through career adjustments, through transformations that come as we grow older. God’s unchangeableness— His immutability—amazes us more and more as we change constantly.
In 1 Samuel, David is anointed as the new king over Israel (16:13). This passage provides a helpful example of how to understand immutability as it comes up in Scripture. God is said to be grieved that He had anointed Saul (15:35). Did God regret what He had done? What about His will not changing? We remember that God “is not a man, that he should change his mind” (15:29). The change is not in God’s purpose to have a faithful king over Israel or even His own purposes with Saul. It is a change in His revealed plan to have Saul as king.
To understand the distinction between God’s unchangeable will and the changing circumstances of life, know that He is always working out His unchangeable purposes.