Jeremiah 13:23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”
What kinds of things would you change in the world if you could? What changes would you make? Some people would want world peace; some would wish for world prosperity. Others would want several grand and noble things, either personally or globally. However, all of these things are impossible because there are some things that only God can change.
In Jeremiah 13, God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah to wicked and rebellious people. They would not hear (verse 11) and were proud (verse 15), and their sin kept them from glorifying God as they ought. God reminded them in verse 23 that there are some things that only God can change.
We live in a day when many more changes are possible than in Jeremiah’s day, but God’s question is still true today. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?” The implied answer to both questions is, no! Can a leopard cannot become a lion? No! Even if a leopard’s appearance is somehow drastically altered, he is still a leopard-his nature does not change. (I am reminded of the old wise tale about putting a ribbon on a pig: she looks great for awhile, but eventually she will go back to wallowing in the mud!) In the same way, even a man or woman who dramatically changes the way their skin or body looks is still who he or she truly is. Ultimately, people are sinners before God, and that is something only God can change.
I cannot change who I am-there are some things that only God can change. You might as well change a leopard into a lion than stop sinning in your own power!There are people we would like to change, but remember that only God can change forgive their sins and change their hearts. Truly, only God can do that work, and that is why we ought trust Him to do what we cannot do.
More than likely, the things we would change in the world today boil down to people, not things. We might wish for “world peace,” but what we would really like is to change the clod we work with! We might wish for “prosperity,” but we would really like people to be honest in their dealings with us! Let us not forget today that the habit of sin and the bondage of sin are chains that only God Almighty can break. For the one who has yet to be saved, his only hope for peace with God and heaven is to trust Christ. For those of us who are saved, the only hope for living right today rests with God as well. There are some things that only God can do.