As I have stated previously, I am working my way through the minor prophet books in the Old Testament in my morning devotional time. For the past few days I have been in the book of Jonah. A story many of us have heard since Sunday School as little kids. It’s a short book (four small chapters) and there is a lot packed in there. This morning, something jumped off the page at me:

When God saw what that [the Ninevites] had done
and how they had put a stop to their eveil ways,
he changed his mind and did not carry out
the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah 3:10, NLT

So what jumped out at me? Seems like a fairly innocuous passage right? God had planned on destroying Nineveh because of their evil ways. Most of the book is about Jonah wrestling with God about going to Nineveh (the whole swallowed by a fish thing). But that’s not what struck me this morning.

It was this phrase: “…he changed his mind…”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t typically think of God changing His mind. It doesn’t fit neatly into my theology. God knows everything right? God knows exactly what He’s going to do, right? So, did God really intend to destroy Nineveh or was He “playing a game” with them? Of course, my issue isn’t with Nineveh specifically (although it torqued Jonah off pretty good, read Chapter 4 for that story).

My issue is with you and me. Does God have a plan for you and me? Is it set in stone? I know that we have free will and all…but I don’t always act like it. There is contention in my ind and spirit around God’s sovereignty and our free will. I have swung back and forth between these two ends of the spectrum. This morning? Like I said, I’m just not sure what I think about it…your thoughts??