It’s interesting how the Bible uses... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil.
Jeremiah 13:23

It’s interesting how the Bible uses images from nature now and then to make spiritual truths understandable to us.

The spots of a leopard are genetically determined and cannot be hidden. Even the panther, the jet-black variety of the leopard, is only seemingly an exception, because when the sunlight hits its fur at the right angle, you can see that the dark black tones hide the familiar leopard spots.

So God is saying here that if a leopard could change its spots, there would be hope for you humans to do good. But the leopard cannot do it – and neither can you! Because you are used to doing evil, you can’t let it go. Like a leopard, you cannot get out of your skin.

In the letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul describes a man who wants to limit and suppress the power of sin in his life. But he cannot. Frustrated, he cries out, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).

But this is not the last word, because he knows the answer: “I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Thus it is clear: deliverance, salvation from the power of sin, is only possible through Jesus Christ! Only He can change our heart, our inner control centre, which directs our whole life. Whoever experiences this change can say with the words of the letter to the Romans: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death”. How relieving and truly liberating that sounds. It is still possible to experience this today! (Romans 7:25; 8:2)

Today’s reading: Genesis 5:1-20 · 1 Peter 2:13-25