"It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land;
but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you,
to accomplish what he swore to your fathers,
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Understand, then,
that it is not because of your righteousness
that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess,
for you are a stiff-necked people."
Deuteronomy 9:5-6
It was hard endure. . . the screeching, off-pitch voice attempting to sing, "Unchained Melody" or "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" during the audition phase of American Idol. Inevitably, as the performer stands beaming before the judges waiting for his praise and ticket to Hollywood, his face becomes crestfallen as he realizes the panel didn't like his performance. His shock turns to anger as he hears the opinions of the industry professionals telling him the opposite of what everyone else has been telling him; "You can't carry a tune."
It was painful to see his bursting bubble. . . a bubble that had been formed through the well-meaning attempts of others to boost his self-esteem. Unfortunately, the poor fellow was completely unprepared for the reality of the world.
We are living in a time when developing high self-esteem is promoted as essential to living a happy well-adjusted life. Fortunately, studies are now showing that the opposite is actually quite true.
As parenting expert John Rosemond says, "Today's typical parent seems to think his/her child is the only fish in the pond worth noticing, which is really too bad for his/her child. It's bad for all of us, actually, because the research also finds that the higher a person's self-regard, the lower his regard for others. (It is also noteworthy that high self-esteem puts the individual at high risk for bouts of severe depression."
This proclivity toward self-importance is not peculiar to today's world. It is human nature for me to think first of myself and to assume the world revolves around me. Something or Someone has to bring me back around to a more humble point of view.
In the same way, God had to remind His people over and over again that they existed because of Him, not the other way around. And we are still getting that mixed up today!
His Justice
One of the most common phrases I hear the kids whine in our afterschool program is, "That's not fair!" I usually respond with, "Well, life's not fair." A human's sense of justice is so different from God's.
I think of Uzziah, the poor fellow who was simply trying to steady the ark of the covenant as the oxen stumbled while pulling the cart carrying the holy load when God struck him down on the spot, killing him instantly. No fair! I think, he was only trying to help!
But David had completely disregarded the instructions from God on how to transport the special box that held the ten commandments, a sample of manna and Aaron's staff. Instead, it was carried in the same way people would transport a common household idol, a false god. David failed to take God's commandments seriously and teach his people how to handle His holy articles, carrying the ark with poles on the shoulders of consecrated men from the tribe of Levi.
A man lost his life that day in a way that seemed unfair and harsh. But God's, "works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4)
When I see things happening around me that seem unfair, I must keep this in mind: God is perfectly just.
We are all at the mercy of God's justice. Thankfully, He doesn't do anything out of spite or malice, but simply out of His sense of fairness.
I can trust God with my life because everything that happens is in accordance with His justice.
His Promise
"I promise I will never leave you!" I hear these types of impossible promises being made by people all the time. Parents vow to always be there for their children, but an unexpected tragedy forces them to break that promise. A man assures his wife that he'll never drink again, then a stressful day drives him back to the familiar comfort of the bottle. Politicians are known for promising one thing in order to get elected, then finding out it's not so easy to carry out their idealistic plans and consequently go back on their word.
Promises are hard for humans to keep. God, however, never struggles with fulfilling all of His promises.
One of His foundational promises was first given to Abraham as recorded in Genesis 12. He commanded Abraham to leave his country and go to a land He would later show him. Then he said, "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (v 2 and 3)
This blessing ended up being fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. "By His wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5) I now have the blessing of cultivating a relationship with my Father in heaven and the hope of living with Him for all of eternity through faith in Jesus Christ and belief in what He did for me on the cross. Anyone can receive this blessing through a simple, child-like faith.
The impact of that one promise on my life is enormous. No longer am I bound to the futility of trying to work my way to heaven by doing good. Instead I can rest assured that the blood of Jesus covers all of my sin, making me appear to God as if I were pure and sinless.
Since I have been extended this great gift of grace and am free from the judgment of God that my sins deserve, I can pass that grace on to others, cutting them a break instead of constantly thinking I need to hold them to my standards.
Experiencing the depth of undeserving love that flows from God to me through his Son, I can love others in ways they don't deserve.
My life and my hope comes as a fulfillment of the promise God made to Abraham thousands of years before.
His Choice
I live in God's creation. He made up all the rules. He decided how things were going to work. He picked out all the colors. It all belongs to Him. As He reminded his people when they became too big for their britches, ". . .every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills." (Psalm 50:10)
Who am I to complain about where He placed me, how He put me together, or who makes up my family? As God told us through the prophet Isaiah, "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'He did not make me'? Can the pot say of the potter, 'He knows nothing'?" (Isaiah 29:16)
God has plans that have nothing to do with me. He decides what role each one of His creation will play in His production. He chose Pharaoh as a vehicle for the demonstration of His power and glory at the cost of his very life. On the other hand, he chose Jacob as his favored one from the time before he was formed in his mother's womb. Both were used by God. One was shown mercy, one was not. This is God's choice.
If you are reading this blog, God is calling you to Himself. Those who God is showing mercy to are drawn to Him, wanting to learn more about Him and desiring to grow closer to Him.
As one of God's chosen, I can rest assured that my position in God's family is as a result of His plan, not as a result of my fitness or worthiness.
It is easy for me to fall into the pattern of this world and to focus on my welfare, my plans and my happiness. In reality, I am at God's mercy and His actions have nothing to do with me. Instead, He acts according to His justice, His promises, and His plan.
Giving God His rightful place humbles me as I learn to accept all He has for me today!
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God to act in a way that He sees as best.
When do I think life is unfair?
How can I trust God when things seem to be falling apart?
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