Our Creator desired a relationship with us from the time He created man. We see that in the lives of our forefathers Adam and Eve. After they had sinned, they heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden in the Cool of the day, and Adam and His wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden (Gen. 3:8). Guilt, because of sin, interfered and broke this meaningful relationship between God and men; through them, we all fell short from God’s glory, and separated from Him, we wander without aim, feeling alone in many chapters of our life. But when reckoning the unmeasurable love God demonstrated in giving His life for us, we cannot reason the fact that our Creator will ever forsake us. He Who did not spare His own Son to save us is consistent and faithful to fulfill His promise, I will never leave nor forsake you. The sin barrier that separated us from Him was broken at Calvary. YAHSHUA not only saved us, but became our High Priest and intercedes for us, for He is ever mindful of all we go through. From the most insignificant experience as a hair falling out of our head, to a more serious one, as death, nothing happens without Him knowing it. In the words of the Prophet Jeremiah, it is because of His mercy and lovingkindness that we are not consumed; His compassions fail not; they are renewed every morning; but though He causes grief, yet will He be moved to compassion according to the multitude of His lovingkindness and tender mercy. Why then does a living man sigh and complain for the punishment of his sin? (Lam. 3: 22-23,32,39). And then Jeremiah brings us to the solution of our problems: Let us test and examine our ways. And let us return to the Lord; let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven; we have transgressed and rebelled and You have not pardoned (Lam 3:40-42).
The Lord promised never to leave us nor forsake us at any time or circumstance. However, controlled by fear and doubt, many times we lean on these instead of faith to believe His word. The prodigal son in the story YAHSHUA told, although left his father, his father never left him. He faithfully waited for his return, while his son had to go through life’s experiences to understand that and the extent of his love for him. Only when he was faced with rejection from all, after having wasted all his inheritance, was that he remembered he had a father who loved him. Repenting, he said, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son But while still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness and he ran and embraced him and kissed him. Then he said to his servants, Bring quickly the best robe and put it on him; and give him ring for his hand and sandals for his feet; and bring out that fattened calf and kill it; and let us revel and feast and be happy and make merry, because this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! (Luke 15:20-24).
YAHSHUA, demonstrating God’s concerns for us, uttered these words: … For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life… look at the birds of the air that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? (Matt. 6:25-34). The Word of God says that the steps of a good man are directed and established by the Lord; He delights in his way; though he falls he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him (Ps. 47:23-24). Being righteous does not indicate freedom from problems, but the assurance of deliverance from them. For of many such matters, the Lord is aware of them. Job well expressed his faith in God when he decreed the Lord’s mindfulness of his problems. He (God) knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold; for He performs what is appointed for me; and many such decrees are with Him (Job. 23:10,14). Jacob, when sent away to his mother’s family to start a life of his own, due to the fact that he had stolen his brother’s blessing with a lentil bowl of soup, found himself forced to flee from his brother to save his life. On his way there, Jacob had an encounter with God, for which he said when he awoke from his dream, Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it; afraid, he said, How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven (Gen. 28: 16-17).
Our heavenly Father will not always strive with us; nor will He keep His anger forever; He is compassionate, and abundant in love. Jacob deserved worse than he had received, but it was going to be through him that God was going to fulfill His promise to Abraham, his grandfather. It was going to be through his descendants that God was going to send His Son; and through him that the nations were going to be blessed. Jacob suffered the consequences of his foolishness later in his life, but God’s promise was to continue through him. Jacob had been chosen for this purpose before he had even been born. God revealed to his mother, Rebekah, when the twins struggled in her womb, that two nations were in her womb; and two peoples shall be separated from her body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger (Gen. 25: 22). So it is with us today. Although our lives are altogether different, God still has planned for us before our birth. It is up to you and me to seek His will and follow it, remembering that He who has called us is faithful to fulfill His promise to and through us. Nothing escapes His omniscience; He is mindful of His purpose for our lives. Of such matters He is reminded.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Light from the Word 