We read passages which tell us that God "repented." In fact, the Bible clearly teaches that God deals with men according to their own choices. When a man rebels against God, God deals with him one way, but when that same man turns from his rebellion and by faith obeys God, God deals with that same man differently, and again, if the man turns from trusting and following God, God will again deal with him differently and so it goes. God is not fickle or vacillating, God is consistent, immutable, unchanging, because it is the nature and way of God to ALWAYS deal with rebellion in one way and to deal with faithful obedience in a different way.
God is never surprised at a person's failure or distress, since He knows the end from the beginning. His "repentance" is an expression of His sorrow for the failure of the person in question, rather than a sorrow for His own work. We may express concern and sympathy when we see the inevitable and disastrous end that awaits a loved one who is making a wrong choice, or we may say, "I am sorry," when something bad happens to another person, but being sorry, having regret for the situation and being sympathetic for that person is not an admission of wrong doing or failure on our own part. When a loved one is sick, I may say, "I am sorry," even though I did not cause or contribute to their condition. In fact, I may have tried to help them avoid their dilemma, but to no avail.
God help me to live in a way that I will not bring You sorrow, instead, may I be the kind of child that pleases You and gives You joy. May I walk in a way that is worthy of Your Name.
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