The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place, but they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord against his people became so great that there was no remedy. II Chronicles 36: 15-16 NRSV
Has God ever tried to get your attention, sending you messages and messengers? Have you noticed the same ideas, scripture, themes and suggestions coming your way from various sources? Have you found yourself making narrow escapes again and again? And even after all this, were you too busy ignoring, laughing and being perfectly oblivious to what God was trying to tell you?
God comes to us in many ways. However, it often feels like God lies in wait and then hits us over the head with a two-by-four. I think God has probably been sending messengers for awhile and we have not been paying any attention.
The people of Judah were loved by God. God kept on sending prophets and angels (messengers) but the people mocked the messages. So, God finally had enough and uses the king of the Chaldeans to carry out God's punishment: total destruction of the temple and Jerusalem and complete exile in Babylon. This was a devastating time for the Jewish people and God's wrath was truly felt.
But the book of II Chronicles, as our own stories today, ends on a note of hope: the return and reconstruction. For us Christians, Jesus Christ is our hope. He is the one who guides us to return to God and restores our relationship with him.
God, help us to listen to you so that our relationship remains strong. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Copyright 2010 Amelia G. Sims
No comments:
Post a Comment