Does God Ever Change His Mind?

“In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death.
And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz,
went to him and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord:
“Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.’”
2nd Kings 20:1

King Hezekiah was very sick and the Word of God was sent to him by the prophet Isaiah telling him to prepare to die. Ordinarily, when the Lord decrees something, it’s irreversible. But look at the faith and surrender of this Godly king:

vs 2-3:
“Then he turned his face toward the wall,
and prayed to the Lord,
saying, ‘Remember now, O Lord, I pray,
how I have walked before you in truth
and with a loyal heart,
and have done what was good in your sight.’
And Hezekiah wept bitterly.”

At first glance, it looks like Hezekiah is pleading to live, on the basis of his good works. No, if that were the case, instead of weeping bitterly he would have been hopeful that God would change his mind. But no, he believed the Word of the Lord spoken to him and was preparing to die, simply asking the Lord to receive him. This so touched the heart of God that the Lord sent Isaiah back to him with a different message:

vs 5:
“Return and tell 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,
surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up
to the house of the Lord.'”

God changed his mind.

This is not always going to be the case. God is sovereign and usually when he makes a decree it’s unchangeable. But this story teaches us that we can go to the Lord when a thing looks like it’s going to go thus and so against us, and ask if he would reconsider. This will only “work” in a believer who has a totally surrendered heart. In other words, one has to be willing to hear a “no” if that’s what the Lord says.

The Lord has a plan for each believer and we don’t get to see that plan. Sometimes there is something difficult needed in our lives to bring about a change that is necessary, or to grow us up to maturity. In such a case the believer must be willing to submit to that plan, in total surrender, trusting that God's plan for him/her is for the good, no matter how terrible it seems in the present. One who does so can be absolutely assured that it’s going to work out for his good. That’s a promise God has given to every believer:

“And we know that ALL THINGS work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28

Read that over again, and then again, until you get it.

The believer needs to ascertain from the Lord whether a thing is necessary, or whether the Lord might change his mind. This requires spending TIME before him in prayer, seeking to know his will, and even seeking the grace and strength to get one’s heart right before him whichever way the story will go, and oftentimes that can only be battled out in prostration before God with sweat and tears.

To any believer who is serious enough with God, to any believer whose heart is totally surrendered to the Lord, to any believer who will take TIME to prostrate himself before him and seek his face - that believer will be welcomed by the Father and the Lord will show the way he/she must go, adding his blessing and showering that one with his love, for the Lord loves the one who is so trusting in him that he/she is willing to follow - no matter what. It’s the condition of the heart, the attitude of the heart, that the Lord looks at.

There is no “fix” better than communion with God until an issue is resolved with the believer knowing what the Lord will say about it, being totally prepared to proceed accordingly in all the grace and strength the Lord will lavishly give. Surrender entirely to the will of God, and he will work out the situation for you whether to take away your trial, or bring you to maturity through it.