Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 9:16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.”
Our God is truly amazing. He is patient beyond anything we can imagine. Unlike people, He forgives and forgives and forgives. He never stops loving us, regardless of what we do. He loved us, even when we were not His. John 3:16 tells us that “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Do we not understand that this verse speaks of His love for us, even before we became His children? Romans 5:8 also tells us, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I preface what I want to say with these reminders of God’s love for us because something happens to the way we think when we begin to suffer for the sins we commit, and for the decision we make, that bring us heavy consequences. The devils love to use the guilt we feel and the pain we experience when heavy consequences befall us, resulting from something we have done or decision we have made. The first thing that the enemy does is attack God’s love for us. We see time and time again that regardless of what God’s people do, and what He allows as their consequence, He never stops loving them. Romans chapter 8 is a great reminder that God works ALL things for our good. Yes, even the consequences of our sins. I especially love Romans 8:32, which reads, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” How can we even begin to believe that God no longer loves us, or is no longer willing to comfort us, when He gave His Son to save us? He gave us what was most precious to Him, while we were still His enemies. Why would He withdraw His love or comfort now that we are His children? That is just the devils’ ploy to tear us down during a time when we are most vulnerable spiritually and emotionally. Note what God is saying to Samuel here, in spite of Israel’s rejection of Him. They asked for a human king, rejecting the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is about to give them what they have asked for, but there are going to be hard consequences with what He is going to give them. Yet, we still see His love in how He is responding to this stiff-necked people. He is going to give them a king (and many thereafter) who will be hard on them, and from whom He will not deliver them from, but will use those kings to deliver them from the suffering of the bondage they will face with other nations. He will intermittently allow them to have good, but imperfect, kings (such as King David). Nonetheless, in all of this, His love never changes. King David was a man after God’s own heart, even though he sinned greatly against the Lord. His consequences were hard, but God’s love and favor never changed. It is God’s love and comfort that will sustain us and get us through the difficult times we will experiences as a result of some of our life decisions. This is where far too many of us go sideways. We spend far too much time focusing on the consequences, rather than focusing on the grace and love that God shows us, even in the midst of the toughest of consequences. Whatever loss we suffer because of the things we choose in life, the one thing we do not lose is God. Psalm 147:3 reminds us that, “He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.” In spite of Israel’s constant rebellion, God has never forsaken them, and will never forsake them, or us. In Isaiah 41:10-11 we find God’s comforting words toward His rebellious people, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 11 All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.” In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, we are reminded that one of God’s specialties is comforting His children. Those verses read, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” As if that were not enough, the Lord made us this promise in Revelation 21:4, “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” We serve a God who is righteous and just, and will allow the consequences of our choices and actions, but He is also a God who never forsakes us, always loves us, and still comforts us, in spite of us.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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