I love the picture David paints of God "having enough." I have heard my children bickering at each other and let it go for a while. Then the bickering turned to more of a fight. I thought, "Oh, just let them work it out." Then it escalates to a place where I am just done! Don't want to hear another sniveling word. And I get up from what I am doing and break it up. Take over. There will be no more of this! Stop it!
"Because of the oppression of the afflicted and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up," says the Lord. "I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place."
Daddy got up. Might be a good idea to just shut up. This is not just any Daddy. It is Abba. Jahweh. God Almighty. When He has had enough, watch out! But look what He rises up to do! Not to splatter the brains and body parts of the offenders all over creation. Not to wave His mighty scepter around, knocking off heads. He rises up to bring people into a safe place! Stunning. The answer to affliction and poverty...either physically or spiritually...is to bring us to safety.
I love the word "now" in this declaration. It is as if He has said: "I have watched this for a while. Hoping those who are guilty might just find their way. I have watched that wife put up with abuse. I have seen that man work hard for nothing. My eyes have seen the treachery of the unfaithful husband/wife. My ears have heard the awful things that have been said to the precious children who do not deserve such callousness. I cannot abide this any more! I am going to intervene. I am getting UP!"
So if you long to be saved, He will save you. On the other hand, you might find other ways of handling what is going on in your life. Medicating it with all sorts of things that numb the pain. You name it. Adultery. Drugs. Money. Power. Alcohol. Food. Exercise. Whatever you make a god out of will keep you from longing for the real thing. He will not save those who have chosen something else. Not until they come to the point where they long to be saved. Do you hear His words, though? When you long for that, He stands up!
"Because of the oppression of the afflicted and the groaning of the poor, I will now rise up," says the Lord. "I will put the one who longs for it in a safe place."
Daddy got up. Might be a good idea to just shut up. This is not just any Daddy. It is Abba. Jahweh. God Almighty. When He has had enough, watch out! But look what He rises up to do! Not to splatter the brains and body parts of the offenders all over creation. Not to wave His mighty scepter around, knocking off heads. He rises up to bring people into a safe place! Stunning. The answer to affliction and poverty...either physically or spiritually...is to bring us to safety.
I love the word "now" in this declaration. It is as if He has said: "I have watched this for a while. Hoping those who are guilty might just find their way. I have watched that wife put up with abuse. I have seen that man work hard for nothing. My eyes have seen the treachery of the unfaithful husband/wife. My ears have heard the awful things that have been said to the precious children who do not deserve such callousness. I cannot abide this any more! I am going to intervene. I am getting UP!"
So if you long to be saved, He will save you. On the other hand, you might find other ways of handling what is going on in your life. Medicating it with all sorts of things that numb the pain. You name it. Adultery. Drugs. Money. Power. Alcohol. Food. Exercise. Whatever you make a god out of will keep you from longing for the real thing. He will not save those who have chosen something else. Not until they come to the point where they long to be saved. Do you hear His words, though? When you long for that, He stands up!
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