Not the most pleasant sounding God. It seems like he is kind of mean and perhaps a little unfair. But then, who are we to judge the living God of the Universe? As I read this passage this morning, I felt a strange sense of peace and rest, as though all the burdens and troubles in my life, all the distractions and responsibilities, were quietly washed away and all that was left was just me and God. These verses may have been about God’s anger and judgment, “for all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still” (9:12, 17, 21; 10:4, ESV). But if you read this passage in context, it is not hard to understand the reason for his anger: his people were not obeying him. They turned their backs on him and sought other gods. They tried to defy the only God. As a result, after being given a chance to repent and turn back, his judgment came upon him.
I don’t know why I felt such peace and rest. I just collapsed into his arms and wanted to stay there. And oh how gentle, but also how strong, his arms are. I’m tired of fighting him, of trying to do things on my own, with my own feeble strength.
I guess, as I read this passage, I see the power God has and I find it easier to give everything up to him than to try to do it myself. And maybe that is exactly where God wants me. As the famous hymn says, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”
No comments:
Post a Comment