Does God Change His Mind?

Just pick chocolate and move on!

I've never understood the problem people face in picking out an ice cream flavor. The approved flavors are:

• Chocolate
• Chocolate Chunk
• Triple Stripe Chocolate Fudge

But my youngest daughter often insists on being overwhelmed by the flavors at the ice cream shop. I guess she enjoys variety. I enjoy not being disappointed by picking a non-chocolate option. (I'm looking at you Pina Colada!!!!) 

But what about God? Does He ever struggle over a decision? Does He ever suddenly change His mind? 

Here is my "go-to" passage on this subject.

And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me?...I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they." Numbers 14:11-12

The people of Israel chose to disobey God numerous times. In this passage, God pledges to kill Israel and start over with Moses. But Moses shows great concern for the name of God, and for the people. He asks God to forgive Israel, and God declares that Israel will be spared. 

So did God change His mind? Well certainly God was willing to take this action, but He knew it wouldn't be necessary. Up until this point, Moses always looked at Israel as "God's people". Now that their existence is threatened, Moses finally throws his lot in with the people. Moses finally stopped seeing himself as separate from the people he was leading.

God has no need to change His mind. His purpose is to change ours. God exists outside of time, seeing past, present, and future all at once. A God who knows all, has no need to change His mind. But for His children who know considerably less, we are constantly in need of course correction.