Isaiah 54:9-10
“This exile is just like the days of Noah for me:
I promised then that the waters of Noah
would never again flood the earth.
I’m promising now no more anger,
no more dressing you down.
For even if the mountains walk away
and the hills fall to pieces,
My love won’t walk away from you,
my covenant commitment of peace won’t fall apart.”
The God who has compassion on you says so.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
On the way home from church Sunday, Timothy was telling us about his Sunday school lesson. “God wants us to do our BEST!” he would say emphatically. He elaborated… “God wants us to pick up our toys when we pour them out. If we don’t, He will be so disappointed in us… maybe even angry!” Our little four-year-old can be pretty dramatic! But he kept talking about disappointing God and making Him angry, so I reminded him… “We talked about this… when you think you have done something that will disappoint God, talk to Him and tell Him you are sorry.” He lifted his eyes to the roof of the car, and we heard, “God, I’m sorry I didn’t pick up my blocks. Please don’t be disappointed.”
My husband and I stifled our grins from the front seat, and I reminded Timothy that you have to really be sorry… you can’t just say you are and go on misbehaving. But I also reassured Him that God always…ALWAYS loves us – even when we disappoint Him or make Him angry. Explaining compassion and unconditional love to a small child is a challenge. On one hand, we are trying to teach them to follow rules and be obedient and respectful… to their parents, teachers, other adults – and to GOD. But we also want them to understand that they can be forgiven… that their love and value is not based solely on their words and actions. We must make sure that we portray God in the proper light … as a loving, gracious, merciful Father Who has high expectations for each of us – but also as Someone who will never walk away.
I don’t know about you, but I grew up with more than healthy dose of fear about my relationship with God. I do not believe this was intentional…the people who nurtured me in my faith were loving, caring, well-meaning Christians. But the emphasis was on God’s retribution far more than His mercy and kindheartedness. I am so thankful that I have come to know the compassionate side of God… that I operate from a place of peace. I respect God and His authority over my life… but I no longer picture Him waiting like a lion tamer with a whip and a chair to chastise me for my every transgression!
The thought of God as someone who will not walk away from me when things get tough is incredibly comforting. The assurance that God loves me no matter what – that His promises are the real deal - makes me want to love Him and serve Him faithfully in return. In my book, a faith built on mutual trust and peace trumps one based in fear every time!
I know that there are times when God truly is disappointed with us… or possibly angry. I also know that He will never leave us or stop loving us, even in our worst moments. This is an incredibly peaceful – and powerful – guarantee! I pray that your faith is based in God’s peaceful promises rather than fear of His retribution… that His unconditional love makes you want to serve Him obediently- with your whole heart - and to always do your BEST. But you’ll still have to pick up your toys!
©2013 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment