“You Never Change” is a song that praises God for His immutability. God always has been and always will be who He says He is. He is our faithful God who upholds the universe by His Word. He is eternal and unchanging. He is our perfect King. He is, “I AM” (Exodus 3:14 ESV).
Our God is the purest form of love, justice, holiness, excellence and glory. If God could at any point in time change, if He could become any greater or less than He always has been, He would by definition be imperfect, unreliable, and untrustworthy.
Consider the implications God Himself gives for how unfortunate we’d have it if He could change. In Malachi 3:6 God declares, “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (ESV).
If God were to be so unstable as to change and forsake His covenant with His own people—a people who can’t help but break said covenant—we would all be destroyed.
On the contrary, God cannot change and cannot forsake the covenants He makes. In the end He is faithful to His word not because His people are faithful to Him, but because His very character will not let Him deviate. Ultimately because God cannot go against His Word, cannot depart from His own pure nature, He has been and will always be absolutely trustworthy.
Why does this matter? Why would we sing a song about God never changing? Because we do change. We are a fickle people. One day we are filled with love and passion for God, the next we are dry and despairing. One day we are faithful in our marriages, the next our hearts are wandering. We are double-minded, unstable in all our ways, easily swayed in what we believe, adore, and obey.
Our tendency to change is precisely why we can’t trust ourselves and precisely why we can trust God. As He relates to us, our God is an Other, someone distinct from us in the best way, a stable yet passionate, firm yet emotional, perfect person. God’s immutability in His very essence is what makes Him a sure refuge, a reliable shield from danger. He ensures peace when security is threatened, calm when the battle comes to our doorstep.
It is impossible for our God to exceed His present perfection and he could never be more magnificent in His saving power. That He is who He is and will never become anything different gives us perfect peace in the midst of an ever-changing world. Isaiah understood this well when he wrote these words:
“You keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because He trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” – Isaiah 26:3-4 (ESV)
Isaiah knew God is our true Refuge, the Rock on Whom we build our lives, the Lamp Who lights our path, and the Protagonist of our story. He is our eternal King.
Jesus is the ever-present, ever-steady, ever-faithful God who promises to never leave us or forsake us. He is our God who chooses to love us, save us, and be near to us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. He is all that we need and worthy of all our worship.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is his faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)
View all the resources for the song “You Never Change” including free chord charts, and instrumental teaching videos by clicking here.
