A God We Can Trust

This morning's online devotional from Dr. Charles Stanley struck a chord with me. I've used a darker shade of green to highlight the section that caught my attention. Think about what he has to say. Some may disagree with parts of this devotional but, according to my knowledge of scripture, he is "right on". Something to challenge our minds!

Saturday July 2, 2005
A God We Can Trust
Dr. Charles Stanley
Exodus 32:1-14

Our trust in God is based upon His unchanging character. Scripture says He consistently loves us, forgives us, and provides for our needs. But many believers worry that God might reject them if they sin too much, do not read the Bible every day, or displease Him in some other way.

The false notion that God will reject one He saved springs from a simplistic view of His nature. We tend to attribute one emotion to God at a time-either He is angry or loving. Instead, the Father's nature is as complex as our own. We can love a child unconditionally while we are upset over his or her actions. The same is true of God. For instance, the righteous anger that led Him to threaten the Israelites did not replace His care for them. Although His holiness desired justice for their sin of idol worship, His mercy heard Moses' plea and forgave them.

Our heavenly Father has many emotions and characteristics, and He handles every circumstance according to His perfect nature. That is why we can say He is unchangeable. Even so, some people point at passages like Exodus 32 to falsely prove that God changes His mind. But God is omniscient. He knew Moses would intercede for his people, just as He knows when we will stumble and how often we will fall short of His standards for righteousness. The Father rescued us from death anyway and refuses to turn His back on us for any reason. The immutability of His nature means that God will love us forever, even when we fail.

David's note: Check here to read my previous "post" on the immutable nature of God.