God never quits

Deuteronomy 19; Psalm 106; Isaiah 46; Revelation 16

If anyone doubts the love and patience of God, Psalm 106 is the place to go. It tells a partial history of His dealings with His people as He brought them out of bondage and into the land that He promised them. It is peppered with praise and reminders of His promises but stained with the rebellion of those He redeemed. These descriptions humble and bless me:

Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness. Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power. He rebuked the Red Sea, and it became dry, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy. And the waters covered their adversaries; not one of them was left. Then they believed his words; they sang his praise. But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness and put God to the test in the desert; he gave them what they asked but sent a wasting disease among them. (Psalm 106:6–15)

This up/down record is repeated as the Lord repeatedly disciplined them and they turned to Him — “Many times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity. For their sake he remembered his covenant and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love. He caused them to be pitied by all those who held them captive.” (Psalm 106:43-46)

Why? Why does a mother persist in training a child who has discovered the word NO? Part of the answer is that God loves His people as a mother loves her child, unconditionally and because it is her nature to care about her baby. But it is not the full answer for why God persists. It is found in the middle of the first passage above: He does it for “His name’s sake, that He might make known His mighty power.”

Redemption for Israel and redemption for me is to show the world what God is like. He reveals Himself in His dealings with people. Yesterday I noticed Isaiah 45:7. God says, “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.” Humanity tends to see God only as they want Him to be, only in the events and circumstances that feel good. Others see Him only in the disasters with an attitude of blame, that God is ruining their lives. Psalm 106 shows that God’s hand is in both. He is at work using all things to reveal both His love and His power that we should respond as the psalmist responds:

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD! (Psalm 106:47–48)

If anyone is wondering why this world seems to be falling apart at the seams, or wondering why they are so protected during the many calamities of life, the answer could be this: “Listen to me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.” (Isaiah 46:12–13)

I don’t know the responses of everyone, but the news every day seems to declare the need of humanity for changed hearts and involves the bower of God doing whatever it takes to bring all of us to our knees admitting our need. Protests will not change prejudice; it only makes us more aware of our sin. The threat of death cannot scare us into removing that threat; it only makes us more aware of our limited lifespan. Even our resistance to the ‘rules’ of this pandemic make me more aware of my desire to control things, resisting the authority of anyone else, including God. What will it take to bring all of us to the realization of who He is and to the, “Amen, praise the Lord” that is due Him?

APPLY: I cannot change anyone. I cannot change myself. Only God can change my heart. As the ancient Israelites, I need to remember His goodness and repent at every sin — for there is a day coming when all will “curse the name of God” . . .  and will not “repent and give Him glory.” (Revelation 16:8-10)