Does God Change His Mind?
Verses:2 Kings 20:3-5
"Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, 'Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 'Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, and I will add fifteen years to your life.''
There are moments in life when heaven seems fixed, when the word of the Lord appears final, and all hope feels lost. Hezekiah faced such a moment. The prophet Isaiah came to him with a divine decree: "Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover."(2 Kings 20:1). There was no ambiguity—God had spoken. Yet, in that moment of despair, Hezekiah did not resign himself to fate. Instead, he turned his face to the wall and wept before the Lord, pleading for mercy. And something remarkable happened—God responded.
Does this mean God lied when He first declared Hezekiah’s death? No. God’s initial word was true, just as His later word was true. The unchanging God, in His sovereignty, chose to respond to a heart that sought Him in desperation. Some might argue that this diminishes God’s immutability—that if He changes His mind, He must be inconsistent. But this misunderstands the nature of His divine relationship with His people. God is not a cold, unfeeling force bound by rigid decrees. He is a Father who listens, a King who responds, a God who interacts with His creation in love.
Hezekiah’s prayer was not empty ritual. He did not offer hollow words or self-righteous claims. He reminded God of his faithfulness—not to boast, but to appeal to the covenant relationship they shared. And God, in His mercy, answered beyond expectation. He did not merely grant a vague extension of life; He gave a precise promise: fifteen years. This was not a reluctant concession but a deliberate act of grace.
Some teach that our obedience means nothing before God, that even our best deeds are "filthy rags." But this passage refutes that. God did not dismiss Hezekiah’s faithfulness as worthless. He acknowledged it. This does not mean we earn salvation by works, but it does mean that God sees, remembers, and honors a life lived for Him. Prayer is not a futile exercise; it moves the heart of God.
Does this mean we can manipulate God? No. He remains sovereign. But it does mean He is not indifferent to our cries. He is not bound by time, so His "change" is not like ours—a shift from ignorance to knowledge. Rather, in His eternal wisdom, He responds to the prayers of His people in ways that align with His perfect will. This should not make us doubt His constancy but marvel at His relational nature. The same God who does not change (Malachi 3:6) is the God who hears, who bends down, who answers.
If you stand before an impossibility today—a sickness, a broken relationship, a hopeless situation—remember Hezekiah. Pray specifically. Remind God of His promises, not because He forgets, but because you are acknowledging His faithfulness. And then trust that the God who added fifteen years to a dying king’s life can turn your despair into victory.
Prayer:
Lord, You are unchanging in Your holiness yet responsive in Your love. Teach me to pray like Hezekiah—with faith, with tears, with an appeal to Your covenant mercy. When I face what seems final, remind me that You are the God who reverses death, who turns decrees of despair into declarations of life. I bring my impossibilities before You, trusting that You hear, You see, and You answer. Amen.