The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is just.” 2 Chronicles 12:6
King Rehoboam had led the people into so much sin that God had chosen to destroy them. God was going to use Shishak, king of Egypt, to capture them. God had said that because they had abandoned Him, He would abandon them. Immediately Rehoboam and the people humbled themselves before God and accepted what He said by saying that He was just. God still punished the people, but not as severely. Instead of being destroyed, they were made subject to Shishak.
When God brings judgement on a person, group of people, or a nation, most people complain about it. The first thing they do is state that God is not being fair or very just in His actions or allowances. The world likes to say that if God was really all that loving, as believers say He is, then He would not punish anyone for anything.
Not only does this happen in the world, but there are many in the church who fail to realize that God is perfectly just in all of His actions. Many will immediately quote that Jesus said He did not come to judge. This is true, but God does allow things in the lives of believers to correct them and show them the error of their ways.
With the Israelites, He allowed them to be subject to Shishak so that they would learn the difference between serving Him or the kings of other lands.
Jesus wants you to serve God and God alone. He will allow you to make other choices, but with those choices will come consequences. God allows very negative consequences to come into your life, as a result of a bad choice you had made, in order to get you to turn back to Him.
As things go bad in your life, instead of being angry with God, take a look at your life. Are you following and serving God with all of your heart? If not, then turn back to God.
If you following God fully, then realize that it could be the enemy out to try and get you and stop you. Or it could be that God is testing you in order to check your faithfulness and dedication to Him.
In either case, realize that God is just and knows what is best for your life.
I pray today that you will serve God with all of your heart; that you will not be angry with God for events in your life; that God will keep you close to Him; and that you will trust God for everything in your life.
So true and solid Tom, thank you. I recently pondered the two extremes that many of us take in response to hard and negative stuff in our lives. It seems to me we either blame God or blame “the church”… we get angry, feel fully sorry for ourselves or both and so must blame soomeone (or SomeOne) other than ourselves for our pains. The issue to me is that there are indeed times others have wronged us, mis-judged or harshly dealt w. us and so made life miserable. They are guilty. Or not guilty. It’s easier to blame people/the church for what God the Holy Spirit may either be bringing or allowing into our lives to work CHANGE and a period of spiritual growth in our life… than to blame God Himself. Then again, some do that also and fully backslide, some even to the point of “there is no God anyhow!!”. Tragic and self-defeating when we wrestle with God to win as opposed to surrendering to Him in faith and following.
Thanks bro, solid, good read, this!! -Glenn
Thank you Glenn. I know I have been guilty of some of these same things. Thanks for reading my post! I enjoy reading yours.