Good morning! Have you spent a paycheck on Girl Scout cookies yet? I haven't, but it isn't for lack of trying. In this world, the buying comes too easily, the paying is the difficult part, and after eating all those calories, we really pay! I have difficulty saying "no" to a child, and this is exactly what Jesus points out when reminding us of how much our Father in Heaven wants to give us every good thing. If God says "no" to us, we can rest assured that it is with very good reason and for our benefit.
What theme runs throughout the prophecies of Israel's destruction? I noticed it this morning in Ezekiel. Yes, the cause was their idolatry, but many prophecies of destruction end with the same thought... "and then they will know that I am the Lord." We can read much the same thing in Revelation and other books of prophecy. Then they will know, even in meting out punishment the Lord desires that we should know Him. Only as a last resort does God use punishment to get our attention. It may be difficult, or perhaps not, but thinking back to before the time we came to believe, did you often glibly think that some problem or condition was punishment from above? Movies often speak jokingly of God hating some character, but what if they have it backward. Suppose instead that a loving God earnestly sought our or their attention in times of trial or punishment. I know, from the revelation of the Holy Spirit, that many times God sought to turn my attention to Him, gently at first and then with more effort. I think we all know, both from the example of Israel and from our own experience, that it is much better to turn when God gently reminds us as opposed to waiting for more drastic action. I love the Lord Jesus! We believe in Him, let the day shine brightly in Christ!
Bucky
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