GET REAL

The LORD protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. [Psalm 145.20]

How simple is that?

Oh but religion can make it confusing and complicated!

Deuteronomy 28.1-14 defines the blessings upon those who obey God. And, who are those who obey God but those who love Him?

Deuteronomy 28,15-68 describes the curses upon those who disobey God. Destruction is very much a theme in these curses.

Now that IS simple, right?

Wait a minute though... Most of us are experiencing some sort of destruction every day. As I write this, my own neck is in a brace and my fingers are in pain. Am I not obedient? Do I not love God? Can one not simply look back over the years of posts here in this very blog (my own compilation of daily writings in response to my daily Bible reading) and not see that I must be holy? 

Is my pain and suffering the thanks I get for my devotion? Destruction and pain? I am better than that, right? God has no right to treat me this way, right? Who does He think He is, right? He is not better than me, right? He owes me, right? (Shall I go further with this nonsense?)

Oh I will...

So, if I am pure before God, and God is pure, then my suffering must be a cloaked message of love from my loving Father, right? Besides, I often beat my children just to say, "I love you!" right? I would lovingly pour acid on their faces all the while lavishing words of love and concern for them, right?

COME ON! People, we have to get real with ourselves and with God! Destruction is punishment reserved for the disobedient! Cancer is destruction. Diabetes is destruction. Arthritis is destruction. Blindness is destruction. Poverty is destruction. READ IT - IT IS ALL INCLUDED IN DEUTERONOMY 28 15-68.

First, we have to stop lying to ourselves just to protect our pride! If we suffer, it is because of disobedience!  When I feel pain, I am being chastised for rebellion! Period. My duty is to repent! My duty is to examine myself (whether my sin is obvious or not) and repent. Pain and suffering are rewards for disobedience (read Deuteronomy 28 and weep!).

Second, what right do any of us have to completely negate all the descriptions of God and His character throughout the Bible as a loving gentle Father and make him out to be the server of random suffering to serve His purpose of love? Most of us have adopted a sick and twisted idea of God's love much the same as sadists have convinced themselves that hurting one another is an expression of love.

What we really need to do is REPENT! We need to repent of our pride and we need to repent of our twisting of God's Word to suit our theology (which protects our pride).

Father, in my pain today, I repent. You are holy and You are just and this suffering is justified in my life. But I repent! Forgive me for disobedience - help me to see clearly what it is and confess it. Father, this pain is not You saying, "I love you." but it is You saying, "I love you, you need to repent!" Forgive me for not trusting Jesus as my Savior. Forgive me for not trusting Jesus as my Justifier. The suffering in my life is resultant to my own sin and I make no proud excuses for myself. All I say is, "Father, forgive me!"