Today’s Encouragement is Judges 13:1 And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, so the LORD gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
The Lord gave them –
We might be tempted to read into this – that because they did what was evil in God’s sight, God punished them by giving the Philistines authority over them.
The Hebrew word, here translated as ‘gave’, is also translated in varied ways throughout the OT including ’permit’, ‘let’, ‘release’, and ’entrust’. This word is also used as when a father ‘gives’ his daughter to a man in marriage.
Is it possible, my friends, that God permits, allows, releases us to suffer the consequences of our rebellion, our sins, as the direct result of our decisions and choices? Just as a loving earthly father permits his child to fall occasionally, to experience some pain due to learning, and perhaps to disobedience. This is not angry punishment, wailing away for the slightest infraction, but rather lovingly, compassionately permitting the uncomfortable experience of pain as the direct result of disobedience. Is it possible?
Father, help us to view all your actions in light of Your Power, Holiness, and Your Love. You are unlimited…. Even in Your capacity to forgive us because of our faith in Christ. Thank You Lord for teaching Your children, even when it means we may experience the pain of our own decisions and actions.
In the Light
DC Talk
Today’s Encouragement 