You who are unchangeable, whom nothing changes!

You who are unchangeable in love, 

    precisely for our welfare, not submitting to any change:

  may we too will our welfare, 

    submitting ourselves to the discipline of your unchangeableness,

    so that we may in unconditional obedience find our rest 

    and remain in rest in your unchangeableness.

You are not like us;

    if we are to preserve only some degree of constancy,

    we must not permit ourselves too much to be moved,

    nor by too many things.

You on the contrary are moved and moved in infinite love, by all things.

Even that which we human beings call an insignificant trifle,

    and pass by unmoved, 

    the need of a sparrow, even this moved You;

    and what we so often scarcely notice, 

    a human sigh, this moves You, 

You who are unchangeable!

 

You who in infinite love do submit to be moved,

    may this our prayer also move You to add Your blessing,

    in order that there may be brought about such a change in us

    who pray as to bring us into conformity with Your unchangeable will,

You who are unchangeable!

 

Soren Kierkegaard, 1813-1855, Danish philosopher and theologian

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So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise 

the unchangeable character of his purpose, 

he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, 

in which it is impossible for God to lie, 

we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement 

to hold fast to the hope set before us.