But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshiped the LORD. They begged him for mercy. Then the LORD changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. So we are about to do ourselves great harm.” [Jeremiah 26.19]
This verse in Jeremiah tells so much about the character of God!
God is merciful. So, there is hope in our repentance. We have every reason to repent and beg God for mercy when curses ensue. God is worthy to be worshiped. His change of mind can change our circumstances!
How many of us will actually push through though? How many will contend with God as Jacob did when he wrestled all night with God refusing to let Him go until He blessed him? How many of us believe in God's mercy enough to do that? We may pray and ask God for help, but if an answer does not come quickly, we have all sorts of alternative means to turn to...
Herein lies the problem, we have "alternative gods" to turn to. Idols, they are. Man has become an idol unto himself with a "pill" (medical, financial, or technical solution) for pretty much everything. Consequently, God is a nice thought and worthy of tending to once a week or so, but most believe He must necessarily use the devices of man to work in the earth today.
But God uses man, right? This sounds good... but how do we truly know it's God who is merciful and not just the benevolence of man at work? Mankind today does not know the answer to this question and therefore concludes it does not need God. It is this very self-man-reliance then that prepares man for an eternity separated from God.
Should we then reject the help of man just so God may receive ALL the glory with no necessary addendum citing man's help? Abraham, the "father of faith," did and tells why:
Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ [Genesis 14.22-23]
Is God's mercy evident in my life in this way? Does my life say God is my sole benefactor?
Here are a couple questions a godless person might ask: If God requires the help of man to be effective in the earth today, then why not just go to man first since God necessarily relies on man? What need is there for God if man meets the need? God's own people cannot answer these questions because they largely do not view (let alone, know) God as the merciful God that He is. And, because of this, they too look to other sources for mercy - the devices and programs of man designed to relieve suffering.
I am not saying God can't use man. But I am asking a legitimate question, "How does man have assurance for eternity that he is relying on God and not man when he cannot have assurance for here and now of the same?"
Would it not seem better to die in undivided faith in God's mercy, than to live in doubt as to where mercy truly comes from?
Father, may my life scream "dependence upon God!" Forgive me for self-reliance. Forgive me for turning to the gods of man and man's knowledge. Forgive me for such a faithless existence and testimony to the world! Be merciful to me, my God, I need You. But I would rather not have Your blessings if there is any chance those blessings have any connection with the means and devices of man. May Your glory never be shared with anyone or anything else!
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