He Could Bear the Misery No Longer

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He Could Bear the Misery No Longer

The heart of God is so compassionate  towards us,  there really are no words  to describe His everlasting love.     But,  many events  in the Bible give us a picture  that needs to be impressed  on our hearts and minds  so that we will never forget.

We need  to know  Who to go to  and how to approach Him  when we are  in deep,  deep trouble.

One of these pictures is  in Judges, chapter 10.    Israel was governed  by judges.     Over time Israel started  to worship the idols  of the surrounding countries.    So  God would punish them b y allowing their enemies  to defeat them  in battle.      After awhile the Israelites felt crushed.    They just couldn’t take it  any more.     From there  we read Judges 10:10-16,

Then the sons of Israel cried out  to the LORD,  saying,  “We have sinned against Thee,  for indeed,  we have forsaken  our God  and served the Baals.”

And the LORD said  to the sons  of Israel,  “Did I not deliver you  from the Egyptians,  the Amorites,  the sons of Ammon,  and the Philistines?     Also when the Sidonians,  the Amalekites  and the Maonites oppressed you,  you cried out  to Me,  and I delivered you  from their hands.

“Yet  you have forsaken Me  and served other gods;  therefore  I will deliver you  no more.    Go and cry out  to the gods  which you have chosen;  let them  deliver you  in the time  of your distress.”

And the sons  of Israel said  to the LORD,  “We have sinned,  do to us  whatever seems good  to Thee;  only please deliver us  this day.”

So they put away the foreign gods  from among them,  and served the LORD;  and He could bear the misery  of Israel no longer.

So,  what did it take  to soften the heart  of the LORD?     Instead of just admitting their sin,  the Israelites  got up the gumption  to do something  about it.    They threw out all  of the idols  they were worshiping.     And,  going one step further,  they began  to serve the LORD  with lives  that were God-pleasing.

That’s what it took  to melt God’s heart  and cause Him  to gush forth  in a love  that saved them  once more.

We most likely  don’t have a carved  or molten idol  that we physically bow down  to every day.     We think  we’re more sophisticated than that.     “Our” gods  seem okay  because “everybody” has them.     Instead of serving the LORD,  we serve money,  material stuff  of all sorts,  popularity,  sex,  power over others,  the hatreds  in our hearts,  sports heroes,  the glorified violence in movies,  the heathen traditions  of halloween,  santa,  and the easter bunny  —  and the list could go on.

When we serve all these things  with our money,  time,  talent,  respect,  and honor,  we are forming them  into personal gods.    They have stolen our hearts away  from serving  the true God.     Our Lord said  when that happens  and we forget  all the good  God has done for us  in the past,  God will forget  about rescuing us  from our enemies any more.

Eventually,  we will find ourselves  so deep in trouble,  we will have  to turn  to our only real help — the LORD.     At that time,  will  we be willing  to put down  our foreign gods  and start serving the LORD  with sincere hearts?     We won’t be able  to fake our allegiance  any more.     God always knows  what’s in our hearts  and minds,  anyway.

The good thing  to remember is  that when we start sincerely  serving the LORD,  His compassionate heart  cannot bear  to see us  in misery any longer.     We don’t serve the LORD  to  “earn”  His favor.     We serve Him because  He is holy,  good,  just,  righteous,  and God Almighty,  our Creator  and Redeemer.

That’s reason enough.

When we are free  from other gods  and rulers  in our lives,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     LORD,  it is so wondrous  to live  in Your goodness   and forgiveness.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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