I've clearly declared my love for my God with passion in some of the things that I've posted in this blog. There may be some who may think it strange that as a man, I can post deeply affectionate things about the God who reigns over all that He's created. But I can do it confidently and honestly because I've spent many years now, drawing true knowledge and understanding of Him and His reign over us from His message to us in the whole of scripture. From that, I've developed an overwhelming passion for Him based on a much more informed perspective of who He is, what He's done, and what He's currently doing.
To be sure, I've felt many times, the caustic sting of remaining in a sin infested world for all these years now. But I question how anyone that truly knows God intimately, by seeking Him earnestly, with a sincere heart, can avoid deep affection, awe, respect, and wonder for all that He is and for all that He's done for us. I'll say this boldly, because I believe it sincerely; I don't believe that anyone who's truly experienced the presence and closeness of God as they've fervently and earnestly sought Him out in sustained relationship, can avoid passionate responses to Him. I really, really, don't.
I've crossed paths with some people though, who instead prefer to cast God as someone to blame for whatever ills that they've encountered, for "unanswered" prayer, for letting them crash their boat on the rocks, for disease, for disaster, etc.. That's their choice, but I would gently, but firmly remind them of a few things. It was the species of mankind, us - not God, who allowed the virulent cancer of sin and all that came with it into the world to infest, corrupt and degrade the "good" that God created. Nature is affected by it and reacting to it. Add to that also the fact that Father God gave mankind the free will to choose what he would do. And add also that it's so many wicked men and women that have chose to use that freedom to do evil things that punish and bring harm to others - not God.
It's my thought that much of the singular race of mankind is stewing in a festering pot of his own choosing rather than choosing the path of obedience to God even from the very beginning. And for that, God is not to blame. I believe that God sees us from His much higher position above us as a race of creatures among the many other things that He's created, and that under His gaze from above, all of us in some things, and many of us in others, have made or make choices in the face of what He requires, to be ignorant and/or rebellious at times - And that has a foretold cost to us.
At times, some of us choose our own trouble - even though the Lord gave warning in the text of His letter to all of mankind - His word that we were all intended to seek out, though some choose to ignore. I think both ignorance or rebellion brings it's own trouble...
"You shall not oppress any widow or orphan. If you oppress him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will assuredly hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless." Exodus 22:22-24 (NKJV)
"And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien— Because they do not fear Me,” Says the LORD of hosts." Malachi 3:5 (NKJV)
Is God to blame when people choose to ignore His warnings and defy His heart's desire for righteousness and true justice among mankind? After all, He is God and we are not. His rule is just. We're not our own masters - we never have been. We may have deluded ourselves for a moment, but the time is coming when His righteousness and justice will make things eternally clear.
We might look at the ancient text and think that these things that God's declared, being ancient, no longer apply, but remember that God has said of Himself: “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." Malachi 3:6 (NKJV). His heart is in His words and His words are revealing His unchanging heart and character. They're on display, even in His warnings above, and throughout scripture. We can see it clearly if we choose to...
"Then the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.’ " Zechariah 7:8-10 (NKJV)
"These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the Lord.” Zechariah 8:16-17 (NKJV)
"Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered." 1 Peter 3:7
The Lord may have spoken at a particular time and into a particular situation, but His heart is clear and it doesn't change. What He loves - He loves. What He hates - He hates. He's been declaring His heart and the pathway of obedience clearly and openly for all time and has warned mankind against our violations and infidelity to it. So, learning to observe from the perspective of The Creator of all that has been created - which includes us, serves to clarify the reality of our position before Him and the reality of our existence under the Sovereign Master who rules our pathway. God is God and He is good. He's given us direction, counsel, and warning.
As a species, we've chosen at the beginning of our creation ... and we now deal with consequences in the world around us. - This was our desperately sad choice as a race of creatures that He created with passionate intention to share His love.
As individuals within the species, before Him, we now continue to choose the consequences of our own choices...
...I pray let them be made with true knowledge and understanding of our God and His reign, to our high and holy benefit by our obedience to His heart and word. His plan has always been for us to prosper and flourish by our cooperation and obedience to His heart and declarations as God - to whom we owe our all.
In Scripture, understanding comes with earnest seeking and by revelation through the Holy Spirit - the weight of which is eternal and beyond the value of any currency of mankind...
"He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 (NKJV)
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it." Deuteronomy 10:12-14 (NKJV)
Comments
Post a Comment