One of the biggest arguments I hear from people usually starts with, "Why would a loving God allow..." but we completely bypass or forget or fail to admit to our own part in this. Yes, He is a loving God and yes, He allows things to happen. Sometimes it's just life, but sometimes it's the consequences of our own actions or the consequences of generations, and we fail to see all of the years that He held back the consequences. We fail to see all of the chances He gave us, all the years He protected us, and the generations of doing what our fathers before us have done and that we have continued to do. We notice the consequence He allows...
Maybe the real issue is that as a society we have begun to not just believe, but demand that there be no consequences for our actions.
That was exactly what I kept thinking about as I read 2 Kings 24.
This chapter isn't about a God who suddenly became angry. It's about a God who had been patient for generations. He warned His people over and over. He sent prophet after prophet. He raised up godly kings who called the nation back to Him. He gave opportunity after opportunity to repent. Then one day, the consequences they had been postponing finally caught up with them.
As I sit outside writing this on my last Saturday before school starts back, I've been watching my chickens wander around the yard. If you've ever had chickens, you know they're funny to watch. They scratch around looking for bugs and seeds, but every now and then one of them wanders a little too close to the edge of the yard. They don't understand why I call them back. They don't see the road. They don't see the hawk circling overhead. They don't know what I know.
We're a lot like that.
We get frustrated when God says no. We question His boundaries. We think He's keeping us from something good, when all along He's been protecting us from something we can't yet see.
Then, when we ignore His voice long enough and the consequences finally come, we ask, "Why would God allow this?"
Maybe a better question is, "How many times did God try to keep me from this?"
2 Kings 24 isn't just a story about judgment. It's a reminder of God's incredible patience. The exile didn't happen overnight. It was the result of generations choosing their own way while God continued to call them back.
The same God who warned them is the same God who waited.
The same God who disciplined them is the same God who loved them enough not to leave them where they were.
I think that's something we all need to remember. God's commands aren't there to steal our freedom. They're there to protect it. His boundaries aren't punishment. They're love.
Maybe today, instead of asking why God allows consequences, we should thank Him for all the ones He has spared us from that we'll never even know about.
I know this isn't my usual uplifting and encouraging talk..But 2 Kings 24 isn't about that. It's a swift kick in the pants, a teaching moment, and a warning. And a reminder that even if we turn back to God now as a people, as a Generations, there are still consequences attached to the lives we lived before. But the consequences, no matter how hard, are still better than exile. Still better than the eternal exile Christ died to save us from.
Love Pastor Mandy
MandiesDandies / Ark of Hope
Daily reading 2 Kings 24
@highlight
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