We always talk about what we are suppose to do. How God wants us to live. What about when we fail? Is God setting there with his arms crossed waiting to catch us messing up?
Here God was talking to the Israelites about all he had done for them:
LEV 26:18" `If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. 19 I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. 20 Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.
Wow that sounds pretty bad. Lets read this next verse:
ISA 26:21 See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
What chance do I have against that?
None - unless we repent.
Here is that word again, that most of us don't like to hear. So how do I do that? Lets read the next verse.
PS 79:9 Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.
But that only applies to bad people, I don't need to repent. I am a good person.
Lets see what the Bible says about that:
1JN 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Do you think that applies to you? Have you ever lied, or taken anything that is not yours, or....... I could go on. I think all of us have done something, so that last verse does apply to all of us.
But thankfully:
1JN 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
So we repent, we follow what God wants and receive Jesus as our savior.
But does God sit there with crossed arms waiting for us to mess up?
Lets see what happens when you get in trouble:
PS 91:14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
In other words: He is mine, leave him alone.
Lets read another verse:
PS 9:12 For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
He avenges blood, in other words he is just. He also won't ignore us.
PS 103:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
Conclusion:
If we study the above verses I think we have to come to the conclusion that God only wants the best for us and he doesn't want to get us every time we mess up. He forgives us, protects us, loves us and he does not ignore the afflicted. He will not treat us like we deserve.
