Thinking

I think quite often on the destruction of Jerusalem.  God handed His own chosen people, the Hebrew people, over to false gods, brutal tyranny and erased practiced Judaism from the face of the Earth.

Exactly how mad was He at them?  Pretty darn mad that is for sure!

And they had the real God on their side but worshipped false gods in his temple, and they preyed upon their neighbors (other Jews) for wealth, and they stole from the poor, and they ignored the widows, and they ignored the plight of the orphan, and ....

We are just like then in oh, so many ways!

But, hey, people are people, right?  I mean, we all fall short, we all sin, we all disappoint God and we are not all that bad, right?

... Right ... ?  Hello God, right ... ?

And I think on Daniel 9:1-20, Jeremiah 25:11, and so many more verses.

God has a breaking point, He forgives, He gives chances, and this cycle seems to endlessly repeat until ... something gives.  A measure of sin is met, the heart of man never considers his Creator any more, every thought, every action is only on sin.  And God moves suddenly, swiftly, assuredly against those whom would call themselves by His name and yet then tarnish His name with their - er - "excesses" (face it sin!).

Jeremiah: "this whole land will be a desolation and a horror ..."
Ouch!  God will make His promised land cursed and a place of death.

Yet, for as sure as God's judgement is, He held out to His people in Jeremiah 29 - hope that He will hear them again and will act in their behalf!

I think about parallels in history: the Hebrew people, whom had it all with God; the Christian whom has it all with God.  A Hebrew people sold out in sin and through corrupt leadership a nation in sin.  And I think about western culture ... wait a minute I lost my thought there, how are WE any different than those Hebrews whom felt the wrath of God via the nooses of the Assyrian or bronze bolts of the Scythian archers?  How different are we from those, such as Daniel and his three friends, led to captivity in Babylon with nooses around their necks! - a very long walk for a teenage!

Yet Daniel and his, kept their faith with them!  And we can keep our faith in the face of overwhelming odds!
Daniel witnessed those whom thought they controlled him.  Just as we should be doing to ALL whom come in contact with us!
I am sure they were uncertain at the time.  And I know all of us doubt, but like Daniel we have to stand on proven ground!

And I often then close my eyes pondering ... why has God not moved against this culture, this country, this state, this city, this unworthy man?  How much worse could Israel and Judea have been .... ?  And I nod off secure in knowing I am His, no matter the day, no matter those surrounding me, no matter ....