God doesn't always do what He says

Today in the One Year Bible, we read from Jeremiah 28:1-29:32. God tells Jeremiah and all of Israel what He is about to do. He says He's going to rescue them from their oppressors, and not only bring them back to their own land, but bring back all of the treasures that have been stolen as well. And you can believe that He will do what He said.

But does God ALWAYS do what He says? Thankfully the answer is no. And I'll tell you why, and give you a great example. He told Jonah to go tell Nineveh that they would be destroyed in 40 days. He didn't say "If you don't get your lives right", He didn't say, "If you don't repent," and He didn't say, "If you don't listen to Jonah". He just said, "In 40 days, Nineveh will be destroyed." He told them that their city would be destroyed. And did He do what He said?

No.

Because Nineveh DID repent, and He had mercy on them. This made Jonah mad, by the way, and he went and sulked. But the point is that God did NOT do what He said He would.

The only time God doesn't do what He says He will is when He warns us of punishment and then we repent and He sees that we've repented. That's one reason that the visions of hell that many saints have had over the years are not taught as dogma of the church, but are accepted as a warning from God. Maybe these visions of millions of people falling into eternal punishment are accurate. But maybe God will have mercy on them as they see their repentance. 

Thanks be to God, He doesn't always do what He said.

God, thanks for always doing the good that You promise, but not punishing us when we repent.