Soon after the Israelites came out of Egypt, they were given instructions by God. He told them how to live the best life possible. He gave them the 10 commandments and other rules that would help them follow His will.
After giving them these instructions this is what he said to them through Moses:
Israel, today I am giving you the laws and teachings of the Lord your God. And if you don’t obey them all, he will put many curses on you. Deuteronomy 28:15 (CEV)
God was very clear from the beginning that the best life the people could live was to follow his instructions. He was clear with them what would happen if they did not obey.
We can’t be surprised at the way the world is right now. It is a direct consequence of the decisions that humanity has made over the years that has gotten us to this place.
So here is the reality…
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE
We are responsible for the world we have. We are responsible for the violence in our cities. We are responsible for the poverty and hunger that is happening in the world. We are responsible for the political divisions in our country.
All of this is our fault.
So is God doing this to us?
In a manner of speaking, yes. But he is doing it to us because he is a god of justice, and he warned us that if we don’t live correctly, his justice will be experienced.
We gave God no choice. He had to act.
And you may be thinking that it isn’t fair.
You didn’t do anything. You have been living correctly. You have been trying to be a loving person and helping as many people as you can.
I get it. That makes sense. But unfortunately, you aren’t the only person on the planet. And others are making decisions that are unleashing the judgment that God warned us about and the innocent get caught in the crossfire.
And we blame God, because it doesn’t seem fair.
Before you get too angry at God for all of this, let me share with you a personal reflection I have made while reading Lamentations chapter 2.
It is true that I have not contributed directly to the hostilities in our world today. But here is the truth that I realized: we are all connected now more than ever. And I am always in a position to contribute, either negatively or positively. And I have to admit that there have been times where I have contributed negatively to the situation by not contributing positively when I have had the chance.
As a disciple of Christ, I am called to lift up Jesus at all times. And I have to admit that there have been times that I have not done that. And that is when I become part of the problem. And now I am asking God to help me always lift up the name of Jesus. I invite you to do the same. If we all do our part in contributing in a positive way, slowly, one person at a time, this world can become a better place.
How can I help you lift Jesus up in your life? Email me at milton@ktsy.org if you need help.
Photo by Johannes Plenio from Pexels
If you would like to hear more on this topic, click on the video below to hear Chaplain Milton’s message entitled “Embrace the Tears: Unchanging God”.
