FICKLE PEOPLE AND A FAITHFUL GOD

Why does God bother with rebellious humankind?  As we read stories in the Bible, we notice that the people of God are repeatedly fickle in their obedience to God’s ways.  For a time they follow God’s ways, then they rebel against Him and do what they think is right in their own eyes.  Their own ways lead them to painful complicated situations and so they call out to God for help against their enemies.  When they call out to God for help, in His mercy and compassion towards them, He rescues them from their enemies and helps them get back on course. 

We are very much like them.  We come into recovery knowing that we need to turn our will and life over to the care of God. Later we think that we know best and end up stumbling and falling into another messy situation and again we call out to God to rescue us.  Amazingly, when we call for help, God responds to us with kindness and help.

O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow. Open the heavens, Lord, and come down. Touch the mountains so they billow smoke. Hurl your lightning bolts and scatter your enemies! Shoot your arrows and confuse them! Reach down from heaven and rescue me; rescue me from deep waters, from the power of my enemies. (Psalm 144:3-7 NLT)

God made us in His image so He could have a loving relationship with us.  However, we are like the prodigal son that Jesus told a story about.  The son wanted a different life than his father had provided for him and so he asked for his inheritance and went off and squandered it.  Like the prodigal son, some of us are not content with the inheritance God has provided for us and want to live according to our own desires. 

When the prodigal son eventually came to His senses, he went home to his father who received him with open arms. The father had mercy and compassion for the returning son and restored him to the family.  That’s how God receives us when we come home to Him.  He rescues us from the brokenness that has resulted from trauma in our lives and the self-centeredness of our own addictive lifestyles and welcomes us into His family. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, Thank You for rescuing me from the deep waters I was in and for bringing me into my inheritance through the finished work of Jesus.  I am glad that Your image is stamped on me and that Your love for me is unfailing.  Amen