Malachi 3:6
“For I am the Lord—I do not change. That is why you are not already utterly destroyed, for my mercy endures forever."
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Have you ever watched a
boxing match in which one opponent keeps getting pulverized by his
opponent...yet he gets back up and goes at it again? You have to wonder
why he doesn’t just lie down and let the referee count him out. But
there he goes again...up and ready for another blow – perhaps hoping
that this time it will be different and he might even get in a good jab
of his own!
We all know someone who is in a situation where
others are asking, “Why does he/she put up with that?” Maybe YOU are
that person today! There are times when it seems that people are “down
for the count” – or should be...times when a person or circumstance in
life has beaten him/her to a pulp, and it seems pointless to keep
standing up to receive another dose. We “sideline quarterbacks” may
even tell this person to “cut your losses”...to move in a different
direction.
Sometimes, this is good advice. But there are
situations where God wants us to stay and continue to fight. Consider
this...Jesus could have taken Himself down from the cross at any
second. He could have said, “That’s enough...none of these people are
worth this suffering and torture. I’m done.” But He didn’t. He stayed
to the bloody end – quite literally. And as we see in Malachi 3:6, God
has NEVER given up on us...even when we gave Him every reason to do so.
There
will be times when God tells you...”That’s enough. Throw in the towel
and move on.” In the words of Luke 9:2 (paraphrased)...”shake the dust
from your shoes and get on with your life.” But there will also be
times when God says, “Hang on just a little longer. I’m working on
something here. Keep the faith and give me just a little more time to
pull this all together as I designed. I promise you...it’s going to be
worth the wait!”
How do we know the difference? It’s not
always easy! I have found that when I am in doubt about which way to
move...I should just sit still for a while. Sometimes, God wants us to
watch, wait, be patient, and listen for His voice. He will honor your
“reverent pause”...God delights when we act with restraint and do not
operate in impulsivity! The more you listen and operate in His will,
the more you will know in your gut when you are truly supposed to move –
or stay.
One more thing...sometimes, God says to us, “I’ll handle this now...I need you somewhere else.” Just because God moves us does not mean that He
has deserted the person(s) involved. God doesn’t change...He is not
easily deterred...He gives each of us every possible chance to turn to
Him. God’s love and mercy are beyond our comprehension! He will do
whatever it takes to rescue us and bring us to a right relationship with
Him!
This is GOOD NEWS! The God who loves us beyond all we can
imagine is always working on our behalf and in every situation. Spend
some time with Him today and ask Him where He wants you to serve. Is He
calling you to “get up off the mat and go another round” in your present
circumstances? Or have you been “reassigned”? Either way, He is with
you...and that will never change.
©2014 Debbie Robus
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