3. Then again, God changes not in his plans. That man began to build, but was
not able to finish, and therefore he changed his plan, as every wise man
would do in such a case; he built upon a smaller foundation and commenced
again. But has it ever been said that God began to build but was not able to
finish? Nay. When he hath boundless stores at his command, and when his own
right hand would create worlds as numerous as drops of morning dew, shall he
ever stay because he has not power? and reverse, or alter, or disarrange his
plan, because he cannot carry it out? “But,” say some, “perhaps God never had
a plan.” Do you think God is more foolish than yourself then, sir? Do you go
to work without a plan? “No,” say you, “I have always a scheme.” So has God.
Every man has his plan, and God has a plan too. God is a master-mind; he
arranged everything in his gigantic intellect long before he did it; and once
having settled it, mark you, he never alters it. “This shall be done,” saith
he, and the iron hand of destiny marks it down, and it is brought to pass.
“This is my purpose,” and it stands, nor can earth or hell after it. “This is
my decree,” saith he, promulgate it angles; rend it down from the gate of
heaven ye devils; but ye cannot alter the decree; it shall be done. God
altereth not his plans; why should he? He is Almighty, and therefore can
perform his pleasure. Why should he? He is the All-wise, and therefore cannot
have planned wrongly. Why should he? He is the everlasting God, and therefore
cannot die before his plan is accomplished. Why should he change? Ye
worthless atoms of existence, ephemera of the day! Ye creeping insects upon
this bayleaf of existence! ye may change your plans, but he shall never,
never change his. Then has he told me that his plan is to save me? If so, I
am safe.
“My name from the palms of his hands
Eternity will not erase;
Impress’d on his heart it remains,
In marks of indelible grace.”
4. Yet again, God is unchanging in his promises. Ah! we love to speak about
the sweet promises of God; but if we could ever suppose that one of them
could be changed, we would not talk anything more about them. If I thought
that the notes of the bank of England could not be cashed next week, I should
decline to take them; and if I thought that God’s promises would never be
fulfilled-it I thought that God would see it right to alter some word in his
promises-farewell Scriptures! I want immutable things: and I find that I have
immutable promises when I turn to the Bible: for, “by two immutable things in
which it is impossible for God to lie,” he hath signed, confirmed, and sealed
every promise of his. The gospel is not “yea and nay,” it is not promising
today, and denying tomorrow; but the gospel is “yea, yea,” to the glory of
God. Believer! there was a delightful promise which you had yesterday; and
this morning when you turned to the Bible the promise was not sweet. Do you
know why? Do you think the promise had changed? Ah, no! You changed; that is
where the matter lies. You had been eating some of the grapes of Sodom, and
your mouth was thereby put out of taste, and you could not detect the
sweetness. But there was the same honey there, depend upon it, the same
preciousness. “Oh!” says one child of God, “I had built my house firmly once
upon some stable promises; there came a wind, and I said, O Lord, I am cast
down and I shall be lost.” Oh! the promises were not cast down; the
foundations were not removed; it was your little “wood, hay, stubble” hut,
that you had been building. It was that which fell down. You have been shaken
on the rock, not the rock under you. But let me tell you what is the best way
of living in the world. I have heard that a gentleman said to a Negro, “I
can’t think how it is you are always so happy in the Lord and I am often
downcast.” “Why Massa,” said he, “I throw myself flat down on the promise-
there I lie; you stand on the promise-you have a little to do with it, and
down you go when the wind comes, and then you cry, ‘Oh! I am down;’ whereas I
go flat on the promise at once, and that is why I fear no fall.” Then let us
always say, “Lord there is the promise; it is thy business to fulfill it.”
Down I go on the promise: and remember, every promise is a rock, an
unchanging thing. Therefore, at his feet cast yourself, and rest there
forever.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
