James 1:13-18
And remember, when someone wants to
do wrong it is never God who is tempting him, for God never wants to do
wrong and never tempts anyone else to do it. Temptation is the pull of
man’s own evil thoughts and wishes. These evil thoughts lead to evil
actions and afterwards to the death penalty from God.
So don’t
be misled, dear brothers. But whatever is good and perfect comes to us
from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change
or shadow. And it was a happy day for him when he gave us our new lives
through the truth of his Word, and we became, as it were, the first
children in his new family.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Here we go again! An
incredibly dangerous, Category 5 hurricane is bearing down on the
Pacific Coast of Mexico…the strongest hurricane in recorded history.
Thousands of people are stranded there, including as many as 10,000
Americans. Among them is a woman from my home town. Her friends and
family are understandably worried.
I can hear the drum-beaters
already…”God caused this hurricane as punishment for something (you get
to choose the ‘sin’). He’s going to teach some people a lesson!” To
these people, I say, “BALONEY!” I don’t know why this storm is brewing –
or why God is allowing it to hit land and put people in harm’s way.
But I do know that He didn’t say, “I think I will cause a potentially
deadly storm and wipe out a bunch of people.” I don’t think God is
punishing my mother or several other family members and friends by
“giving them cancer.” I just do not serve a God who operates this way.
Yes,
I’ve read the scriptures. Yes, I know that God is plenty capable of
punishing with death and all sorts of tragedies and maladies. But I
have also read passages like this one from James 1, in which it is
clearly stated that God never wants to do wrong and never tempts anyone
else to do it. And deliberately wiping out a group of people or causing
someone to suffer would be wrong.
Where does this leave us? Are
we simply to concede that whatever happens is “God’s will” and we have
to accept it? I don’t believe so. When “bad things happen,” I have to
trust that there are just so many things about God and how He operates
that I do not – and will not – understand in this lifetime. But I DO
KNOW how loving He is…how precious we are to Him – each and every one of
us – and I refuse to accept that He would deliberately harm us, for
even one minute.
Even those of us who are “royal stinkers” are
loved by God just as much as the most faith-filled Christian…and He
desires that every single one of us would turn to Him and surrender – to
do all within our power to serve Him obediently and willingly. And God
also wants us to stop worrying.
Even in the midst of this
raging monster of a storm, I refuse to be frightened for our friend who
is there. I am trusting God to wrap His arms around her and those with
whom she is “hunkered down” in a Puerto Vallarta convention center. I
believe that He is monitoring every gust of wind…every wave of
precipitation and the swells of the ocean…and every breath of those who
await the storm’s landfall. We anticipate the outcome…we pray for mercy
and protection…and we believe that God is in complete control of a
perfect outcome. It may not look like we want it to, but God has answers
that we do not…and I am trusting that His are far better than mine.
What about you?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label God's punishment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's punishment. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for October 23, 2014
Nahum 1:3, 9
The Lord is powerful,
yet patient;
he makes sure that the guilty
are always punished.
He can be seen in storms
and in whirlwinds;
clouds are the dust from his feet.
So don’t plot against the Lord!
He wipes out his enemies,
and they never revive.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
While waiting for a local parade, Timothy "hid" behind the bushes that were planted near an office building. He thought he was being clever...he even said, "You'll never find me!" (He also said, "Please don't leave me!") In truth, I always knew where he was...even when I counted to ten and pretended to "search" for him. And when we would discover each other, Timothy would squeal with delight and laugh like it was the funniest thing ever. This was simply a fun childhood game that we have all played hundreds of times...but it has bigger ramifications for us as Christians!
As we grow older, we often try to play "hide-and-seek" with God...or rather, there are times when we try to hide from Him. Once in a while, many of us would really like to take a "day off" from being a Christian, live in the world of "Burger King®", and "have it our way." Because we serve the God of free will, He allows this...to a point. But everyone has limits - even God. If we linger too long in the land of "You-Can't-Find-Me!", God will grow weary of these games - and He may allow us to suffer some consequences. We may even feel like God "counted to ten", then walked away and left us to fend for ourselves.
Understand this...God's desire for each of us is never to leave us - or that we suffer in any form. He does not send diseases, natural disasters, war, personal ridicule or mistreatment by others, and "bad things that happen to good people" in order to punish us. This might have happened in the Old Testament times, but the blood of Jesus changed everything - forever!
God does not "rain down" these things to "give us something to cry about"...but He does allow them some of the time. If God is so patient and loving...why would He do this? Think about it this way...if a child was playing hide-and-seek, and he/she wandered farther and farther away and would not come when called, you might let them feel "lost" for a little bit so that they realized that they needed to return. Sometimes children have to learn a hard lesson...and experience a burned finger or a scraped knee in the process.
As God's children, we have sometimes have to learn hard lessons, too. It's the price we pay for our "grown-up independence". I cannot promise that you will have a life free of any and every discomfort, illness, or unpleasant situation if you "toe the line" with God and "do everything right." For one thing, that will never happen, because we are human - and sinful! But more importantly, we will always need to lean on God to get us through tough times...to heal us from diseases and solve our problems. And that can only happen when there is the potential for troubles.
The GOOD NEWS is that with God, there will never be anything that we cannot handle together. Philippians 4:13 promises us that we can do all things through the power and strength of Christ Jesus (paraphrased). God's deepest desire is to heal us and restore us to new life, peace and joy in Him - and He is willing to do this over and again, every single day, if necessary. Our job is to "come out from behind the bush or tree" and follow Him...to say, "Here I am, LORD...where would you like me to go?"
God has counted to ten...and said, "Here I am!" Are you ready to be "found"? Have you decided to operate in His will and receive His healing power in every situation of your life? Isn't it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
The Lord is powerful,
yet patient;
he makes sure that the guilty
are always punished.
He can be seen in storms
and in whirlwinds;
clouds are the dust from his feet.
So don’t plot against the Lord!
He wipes out his enemies,
and they never revive.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
While waiting for a local parade, Timothy "hid" behind the bushes that were planted near an office building. He thought he was being clever...he even said, "You'll never find me!" (He also said, "Please don't leave me!") In truth, I always knew where he was...even when I counted to ten and pretended to "search" for him. And when we would discover each other, Timothy would squeal with delight and laugh like it was the funniest thing ever. This was simply a fun childhood game that we have all played hundreds of times...but it has bigger ramifications for us as Christians!
As we grow older, we often try to play "hide-and-seek" with God...or rather, there are times when we try to hide from Him. Once in a while, many of us would really like to take a "day off" from being a Christian, live in the world of "Burger King®", and "have it our way." Because we serve the God of free will, He allows this...to a point. But everyone has limits - even God. If we linger too long in the land of "You-Can't-Find-Me!", God will grow weary of these games - and He may allow us to suffer some consequences. We may even feel like God "counted to ten", then walked away and left us to fend for ourselves.
Understand this...God's desire for each of us is never to leave us - or that we suffer in any form. He does not send diseases, natural disasters, war, personal ridicule or mistreatment by others, and "bad things that happen to good people" in order to punish us. This might have happened in the Old Testament times, but the blood of Jesus changed everything - forever!
God does not "rain down" these things to "give us something to cry about"...but He does allow them some of the time. If God is so patient and loving...why would He do this? Think about it this way...if a child was playing hide-and-seek, and he/she wandered farther and farther away and would not come when called, you might let them feel "lost" for a little bit so that they realized that they needed to return. Sometimes children have to learn a hard lesson...and experience a burned finger or a scraped knee in the process.
As God's children, we have sometimes have to learn hard lessons, too. It's the price we pay for our "grown-up independence". I cannot promise that you will have a life free of any and every discomfort, illness, or unpleasant situation if you "toe the line" with God and "do everything right." For one thing, that will never happen, because we are human - and sinful! But more importantly, we will always need to lean on God to get us through tough times...to heal us from diseases and solve our problems. And that can only happen when there is the potential for troubles.
The GOOD NEWS is that with God, there will never be anything that we cannot handle together. Philippians 4:13 promises us that we can do all things through the power and strength of Christ Jesus (paraphrased). God's deepest desire is to heal us and restore us to new life, peace and joy in Him - and He is willing to do this over and again, every single day, if necessary. Our job is to "come out from behind the bush or tree" and follow Him...to say, "Here I am, LORD...where would you like me to go?"
God has counted to ten...and said, "Here I am!" Are you ready to be "found"? Have you decided to operate in His will and receive His healing power in every situation of your life? Isn't it time you did?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 22, 2014
Daniel 9:9
Lord God, you are merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against you
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I sat at the table today with our nephew, Nathan, trying to coax him to eat. “Those are strawberries...Yum! Yum!” He would look away and hide his face. “Mmmmmm...chocolate milk! It’s goooooooooooood!” He would push away the sippy cup. I know Nathan is moody at times...and just shy of his 2nd birthday, he is still figuring us out! So I pretended not to notice him. I quietly ate my lunch...turned on a television show...even got my laptop and started to check e-mail. Of course, I was watching him intently...and at times I felt him watching ME! If he noticed that I noticed him, he would retreat...put his goldfish and strawberries back in the bowl, and hide his face. It was a game...and I caught on pretty fast!
Over the course of about 30 minutes, Nathan discovered that the food I had given him was really tasty...and it all disappeared into his tummy. No matter how many times I told him how delicious it was...it had to be HIS idea. So I quickly decided to be gracious and merciful and ignore him...to play HIS game and forgive his stubbornness.
This is not just the game of a toddler. We do it all the time with God. He shows us what to do...and what not to do...and we try to do things our way. We essentially say, “Don’t look at me right now!” and pretend that if God does not acknowledge what we are doing (or not doing), it doesn’t count. Then when things fall apart, where do we run? You’ve got it...we head straight for God - and want Him to forgive us and restore us. And usually He does just that!
If you read the next few verses of Daniel 9, you will see, however, that God has His limits! While He will never turn His back on us completely, God may “hang us out to dry” a little. There may come a day when He says, “That’s it...I’ve been patient with you long enough. I told you “not to touch the hot stove” and you kept inching closer and closer, so you will just have to get burned a little to learn your lesson!” Or we ask and ask for things that God doesn’t seem to deliver, and we wonder why He is silent...only to realize that we have failed to do something He asked of us – or we have disobeyed Him repeatedly in some area. God is loving, compassionate, merciful and gracious...but He is also just and fair.
So for today, I have allowed Nathan the leeway to eat at his pace and to decide whether he was hungry. When he is older, I may have to INSIST that he eat his veggies or drink his milk. But I will always love him, just the same. And God loves us. He wants to snuggle us in His arms like we would a 2-year-old who is learning the ropes. But He also wants us to grow up and mature in our faith and our discipleship.
How patient has God been with you lately? Are there areas where He has been more than lenient? Are there other situations where you are probably testing the limits of His mercy? Isn’t it time you grew up in your faith and started listening to God a little more closely? Will God have to lose His patience with you before you truly “get it”?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Lord God, you are merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against you
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I sat at the table today with our nephew, Nathan, trying to coax him to eat. “Those are strawberries...Yum! Yum!” He would look away and hide his face. “Mmmmmm...chocolate milk! It’s goooooooooooood!” He would push away the sippy cup. I know Nathan is moody at times...and just shy of his 2nd birthday, he is still figuring us out! So I pretended not to notice him. I quietly ate my lunch...turned on a television show...even got my laptop and started to check e-mail. Of course, I was watching him intently...and at times I felt him watching ME! If he noticed that I noticed him, he would retreat...put his goldfish and strawberries back in the bowl, and hide his face. It was a game...and I caught on pretty fast!
Over the course of about 30 minutes, Nathan discovered that the food I had given him was really tasty...and it all disappeared into his tummy. No matter how many times I told him how delicious it was...it had to be HIS idea. So I quickly decided to be gracious and merciful and ignore him...to play HIS game and forgive his stubbornness.
This is not just the game of a toddler. We do it all the time with God. He shows us what to do...and what not to do...and we try to do things our way. We essentially say, “Don’t look at me right now!” and pretend that if God does not acknowledge what we are doing (or not doing), it doesn’t count. Then when things fall apart, where do we run? You’ve got it...we head straight for God - and want Him to forgive us and restore us. And usually He does just that!
If you read the next few verses of Daniel 9, you will see, however, that God has His limits! While He will never turn His back on us completely, God may “hang us out to dry” a little. There may come a day when He says, “That’s it...I’ve been patient with you long enough. I told you “not to touch the hot stove” and you kept inching closer and closer, so you will just have to get burned a little to learn your lesson!” Or we ask and ask for things that God doesn’t seem to deliver, and we wonder why He is silent...only to realize that we have failed to do something He asked of us – or we have disobeyed Him repeatedly in some area. God is loving, compassionate, merciful and gracious...but He is also just and fair.
So for today, I have allowed Nathan the leeway to eat at his pace and to decide whether he was hungry. When he is older, I may have to INSIST that he eat his veggies or drink his milk. But I will always love him, just the same. And God loves us. He wants to snuggle us in His arms like we would a 2-year-old who is learning the ropes. But He also wants us to grow up and mature in our faith and our discipleship.
How patient has God been with you lately? Are there areas where He has been more than lenient? Are there other situations where you are probably testing the limits of His mercy? Isn’t it time you grew up in your faith and started listening to God a little more closely? Will God have to lose His patience with you before you truly “get it”?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)