Thoughts for another day
February 21, 2011
Today's verse: Joel 2:18. Then the LORD was stirred to concern for His land and took pity on His people. (NAB – copyright acknowledged)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)
In the eschatological summary contained in the Book of Joel, God's love and mercy is seen in a most convincing manner. The background to this is God's scathing judgment on His people – because they have forgotten to love Him and worship Him. They have forgotten to obey him and so He allows bad things to happen. There's no water (1:20). The plants do not grow well and insects come to eat them (1:4). And these things are only a beginning.
Joel admonishes the people for their callous attitude toward God and aks them to mend their ways. He talks about a special day to come, 'The day of the LORD' in which God will punish their enemies and do great wonders. This, despite the fact that, His people have renounced His deity and denied His Fatherhood. In this you'll notice a love of God that's simply amazing, eventually culminating into the reality of the Son of Man hanging on the Cross at Calvary. The love of God is so great that though our sins are many and grievous before Him, yet when His love takes over, they are of no consequence before Him.
The moment we repent the LORD is stirred to concern for us. No child of His when turned aside from his sinful past will be brushed away from Him for He is a merciful God and He takes pity on His people. God is above all a great and Sovereign God and what to say about His mercy toward us. It is just incomparable. Look at it this way, we sin, we repent and turn to Him. He forgives and then we sin again. We repent and we're forgiven and this cycle continues on and on; but God never tires of forgiving us. I remember Peter's question to Jesus, 'Lord how many times should I forgive my brother…' And Jesus as much as tells Him 'always' and this is simply because He forgives - always. This truth is something I've come to realize for I know how many times I fall and hurt Him. But every time I go to Him asking for forgiveness, He forgives and I feel myself washed with His love. So amazing is God's grace that I can really empathise with John Newton when I sing, 'Amazing Grace, how sweet thy sound, that saved a wretch like me!'
February 21, 2011
Today's verse: Joel 2:18. Then the LORD was stirred to concern for His land and took pity on His people. (NAB – copyright acknowledged)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)
In the eschatological summary contained in the Book of Joel, God's love and mercy is seen in a most convincing manner. The background to this is God's scathing judgment on His people – because they have forgotten to love Him and worship Him. They have forgotten to obey him and so He allows bad things to happen. There's no water (1:20). The plants do not grow well and insects come to eat them (1:4). And these things are only a beginning.
Joel admonishes the people for their callous attitude toward God and aks them to mend their ways. He talks about a special day to come, 'The day of the LORD' in which God will punish their enemies and do great wonders. This, despite the fact that, His people have renounced His deity and denied His Fatherhood. In this you'll notice a love of God that's simply amazing, eventually culminating into the reality of the Son of Man hanging on the Cross at Calvary. The love of God is so great that though our sins are many and grievous before Him, yet when His love takes over, they are of no consequence before Him.
The moment we repent the LORD is stirred to concern for us. No child of His when turned aside from his sinful past will be brushed away from Him for He is a merciful God and He takes pity on His people. God is above all a great and Sovereign God and what to say about His mercy toward us. It is just incomparable. Look at it this way, we sin, we repent and turn to Him. He forgives and then we sin again. We repent and we're forgiven and this cycle continues on and on; but God never tires of forgiving us. I remember Peter's question to Jesus, 'Lord how many times should I forgive my brother…' And Jesus as much as tells Him 'always' and this is simply because He forgives - always. This truth is something I've come to realize for I know how many times I fall and hurt Him. But every time I go to Him asking for forgiveness, He forgives and I feel myself washed with His love. So amazing is God's grace that I can really empathise with John Newton when I sing, 'Amazing Grace, how sweet thy sound, that saved a wretch like me!'
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