How badly would someone have to betray you before you turned your back on him forever? What if he told you that he loved you, would even die for you, but shortly thereafter adamantly denied that he even knew you? I’m guessing you’d turn your back on that person, or at least give him the cold shoulder for a few months.
Such is the situation in John 21:1-14. Peter had failed Jesus by denying him three times, even calling down curses upon himself in the process. Later, Peter went right back to what he had been doing before he met Jesus—fishing (John 21:3). This is a good example of how we inevitably revert to the pursuits and interests we held before we met Jesus when we begin to feel distant from Him.
But who did Peter jump in the water to see on the shore? Jesus! (John 21:7). Despite His disciple’s earlier denial, Jesus had not abandoned him. In fact, He basically reenacted what occurred at the start of their relationship, the time when He had revealed His divine power and called Peter to the life of a disciple (Luke 5:1-11).
These accounts are a wonderful reminder of one aspect of God that I’m so prone to forget—His unchanging nature. I often think that when I fail, God turns away from me—angered and ashamed by my actions. I imagine that He loves me a little bit less as a result of my behavior.
But Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” And in James 1:17 we read that God doesn’t change like “a shifting shadow.” Our failures, as dark as they might be, aren’t bad enough for God to deny us or give up on us. He stands by the shore of our lives, calling us to repentance and renewed fellowship. His ways are unchanging!
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Numbers 14:5-45
More:
Read Luke 15:11-32 to see God’s heart for those who have turned away from Him.
Next:
After making a mistake or experiencing a failure of some kind, do you ever feel that God loves you less? What does it mean for you to know that God is unchanging?
Gary Shultz on February 20, 2015 at 7:09 am
God’s faithfulness, His foundational, unchanging person gives me the back drop of reliability I often need. As we see His work as we walk through life we are strengthened and supported by His unchanging, unwavering love towards us. We often flap in the winds of life, but we have a Father to run to in need or plenty who’s compassion for us is a stable rock where we may find the stability we need to have that victorious life with Him. Thank you.
joycemb on February 20, 2015 at 11:12 am
That’s one of the things I love about Him, his amazing gracefulness!
peter chin on March 5, 2015 at 12:43 pm
Where would any of us be if not for God’s faithfulness!
Tom Felten on February 20, 2015 at 9:23 am
Peter, as I think about our amazing, unchanging God, I’m reminded of what He chose to do out of love for us: “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). That timeless truth is something for us to cling to!
Winn Collier on March 5, 2015 at 11:08 am
I like this emphasis that God’s fierce persistence is directed toward us. Sometimes we can think of these attributes of God as things that only emphasize his “otherness” from us.
peter chin on March 5, 2015 at 12:45 pm
You’re right, we often do emphasize the characteristics of God that differentiate him from ourselves. But we forget that these godly characteristics are often directed towards us, an intimate sort of holiness!