July 20
Micah 6:1-7:20; 2 Chronicles 32:1-8; 2 Kings 18:13-18; Isaiah 36:1-3; 2 Kings 18:19-37; Isaiah 36:4-22
I would like to say that as I have aged and matured that I am beyond being hurt or disappointed, but such is not the case. As a father, I have and continue to love my children. After all, what father does not? When I reflect back, I have so many good memories. When I am with them as adults, we have beautiful times together. But there have been those times that I have been disrespected, ignored, misquoted, mischaracterized. There are those times when I felt ignored or forgotten. The same has been true for friends. If I were to be completely honest, there are those times that I can remember, when I did the same things to my parents and my friends. The truth is we all have feelings and emotions. Interestingly, we often act as though our heavenly Father, though He is Spirit, He is also a distinct Person, is beyond feelings. But this is not the case. Just like I know that my own children will do things which will hurt me, we, God's children, do things which hurt our Father. To miss this is to miss the true relationship which He so desires with us, and which we need to have with Him. To miss this sets up a religious system, rather than a true and beautiful relationship. When our children hurt us, pause for a moment, and consider what is it that we desire from them? Why do you think God would desire anything else? We want them to come back in humility and recognize what they did, and come back to us in love. Why do we think that God desires anything differently.
God states through His prophet in Micah 6:3, "“O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!" You can sense the disappointment of our Father in these words. Though we might be fooled by our children, and when we were younger we thought that we could hide things from our parents, this is not possible with our Omniscient, Omnipresent, or all knowing, all seeing, all present Father. He sees what we do in public and what we do in private. He gives a small history lesson to HIs children giving a small reminder of just some of the things that He has done for them. Yet he sees their actions, as we read 6:10, 12, and 7:2-3, "What shall I say about the homes of the wicked filled with treasures gained by cheating? What about the disgusting practice of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?...The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth...The godly people have all disappeared; not one honest person is left on the earth. They are all murderers, setting traps even for their own brothers. Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil! Officials and judges alike demand bribes. The people with influence get what they want, and together they scheme to twist justice." Yes, God is hurt when He sees His creation behaving godlessly. But our loving Father does not give a laundry list of things which must be done. He loves us, and all He requests is in Micah 6:8, "No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
We, as parents are merciful. How much more our Father in heaven? We read in Micah 7:18-20, "Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago." Our Father does not remain angry, for He delights in mercy and has compassion on us. His desire is to "trample our sins", and "throw them in the depths of the ocean". May we never miss this truth. No matter what we have done, no matter what we are doing, our Father, though we may have hurt Him, is ready and willing to forgive and restore. He doesn't ask much, just a willing and humble heart.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: