Thoughts for another day

Nov. 20, 2007

Today's verse: Zec. 2:8. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

When you think of the mercy of the Lord, you can’t but imagine how magnificently magnanimous the Lord is when it comes to compassion. And believe you me; there can never be one as great as the Lord in this aspect even though you find Him being tough with His people when you read of the time before Christ in the Bible. We know that the Israelites sinned against the Lord and continued their wanton debauchery. Name a sin and they did it. They thought God was with them – a fact – and therefore they thought even if they did wicked things, God would be with them and help them fight their enemies. They used God as a rag. Wipe when needed and then throw away!

God did fight their enemies but at the same time, God was upset. His heart ached in sorrow. The principles of justice He had created demanded they be punished. Therefore, He sent the prophets who warned them about the coming wrath; but they just ridiculed them and ignored their message. They even had the gall to punish them. Then He sent the punishment due to them in the form of pagan nations who plundered and set them to the sword and misery.

But the Lord God, when He saw their pain, yet remembered the promises He had made to Moses, Abraham, David and the people of His heart. He yearned to hold the Israelites as a shepherd would; a tender lamb, but they put Him away. He felt pain when they were pained. He wanted to rescue them but how could He when they had rejected Him? And so they suffered but when it was done, He remembered them and the very people, who He had used to punish the Israelites, became the recipients of His ire. He abhorred them for they had touched the ‘apple of His eye’. Imagine this, what a term for a miserable people, a generation of blabbers and people of moral decay!

That however, my friend is the God we serve and, we are His people, the sheep of His flock. Won’t He come to our aid too when our enemies form rank against us. Some day we too will sing like David, ‘He has set a table for us, before our enemies…’