Repent

Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. [Psalm 50.22]

These words do not sound to me like a loving Father who would inflict suffering as a way of making us better. No, they sound more like the words of Holy God (which they are) warning the disobedient that there is a price to pay for disobedience!

When we are "torn apart" (suffering), it is because we have forgotten God and need to repent.

"Forgetting God" can mean a lot of things including not rightly discerning all that Jesus means.

One thing however that forgetting God means is forgetting His Word and Who He Is and What He does. It furthermore means twisting His stated blessings and curses into theological mumbo-jumbo. In other words, forgetting God means "refusing His discipline" (curses) for what it is (calling it something else) and therefore treating His Word like trash. This is serious error.

But God says to the wicked: “Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant? For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash. [Psalm 50.16-17]

The message of repentance only grows in importance to me. God help us.

Father, repentance starts with me. I cannot expect anyone to take it seriously unless I take it seriously first. God, please forgive me for believing only what is comfortable for me. Forgive me for not believing Your Word. Forgive me for feeling like I need to find some hidden meaning in Your Word because I do not like what the obvious meaning is. Forgive me for treating Your Word like trash in this regard.