Jeremiah 13:23 – “Will the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? So can you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil?“
In Jeremiah 13:23, God challenges His people with a provocative question that unveils a profound truth about human nature and the need for inner transformation. This question speaks to the difficulty of changing deeply ingrained attitudes and behaviors, especially when we’ve grown accustomed to doing evil, as the verse suggests. However, this change is possible, and it begins in the heart when God works in us. It is the transformation of God working within us.
As Christians, we often face challenges in our spiritual journey. We may feel like the Ethiopian or the leopard, unable to change our deepest flaws or sins. However, this view is limited and overlooks the power of God to transform a person’s life. Through the Holy Spirit, God gives us the strength and guidance to break out of old patterns of behavior and become more like Christ. The transformation He offers goes beyond our natural limitations.
In Jeremiah, God not only highlights the reality that human change is difficult but also reveals that in Christ, we have the true capacity to change. When we allow Him to work in us, our hearts become more sensitive to His will. The Lord is working in our hearts, and this is the transformation that God wants to bring about in us. The good that once seemed impossible to us becomes a reality through God’s transforming power. Therefore, the question is not whether we can change, but whether we are willing to allow God to bring about that transformation in us.
Prayer: God’s Transformation
Lord, we know that we are incapable of changing our hearts on our own. But in You, we find the strength to transform ourselves. Help us to abandon old habits and live according to Your will. May the transformation in our lives be visible to everyone around us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
