“And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:” Lev. 26:18,19 KJV
I was talking with another member of our staff today about the lengths God will go to in order to get our attention.
Contrary to what many people think God is not out to get us. What He really wants is for us to get Him or to “hearken unto Him.”
People think judgment is all about God’s wrath but really it’s about His mercy in the midst of wrath. God does not desire to shut up Heaven against anyone. He is not especially pleased to swipe away the blessing from a person’s life. Nevertheless, He will do it if somehow that will bring us back onto the pathway that leads to Him. When it comes to a choice between a person’s eternal destination and their comfort eternity wins out every time.
While we are quick to believe the level of our pain indicates the level of God’s callousness more often it indicates the level of His love in reaction to our callousness.
As people around us become harder to the things of God we can expect that God will reflect his love and mercy in their lives through hardship and judgment. Let us be a voice that urges people to return to the sanctuary of God for a future and a hope!
Let’s pray: God I know you never shut up Heaven in judgment against a person without a reason. We know that in judgment you do remember mercy and that mercy is your goal continually. Use me God to encourage those I see struggling because of sin to come into your merciful and loving arms once again through repentance! In Jesus name A-men!