Everlasting Kindness

"For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.” (Isa 54:7-8 AV)

Praise the LORD for His compassion and parental care!  He cannot stay angry forever toward those who once trusted in Him!  Israel turned their back on God.  They went after other gods.  They forsook the God of their youth.  They slipped into immorality and human sacrifice.  It was really bad.  So, the LORD sent Assyria and Babylon against them.  They lost everything.  Their enemies sacked their nation, burned their cities, and carried them away into slavery.  It was not pretty.  They deserved all they suffered.  As so do we.  But praise the LORD that God does not stoke His anger.  Praise be to God that He does not remain upset for eternity.  His anger does turn to compassion.  The prophecy above is specific to the coming of the Messiah.  In His anger, the LORD reduced Israel to nothing.  But in His compassion, He sent His Son to die for their sin.  Praise be to God that He doesn’t stay angry forever!

What thrills my heart is the contrast between the ‘small moment’ and ‘everlasting kindness’.  We have all been there.  Times in our lives when we did not live completely and wholly for the LORD.  There isn’t a saint who ever walked that hadn’t backslid from time to time.  Even the great apostle Paul did an oopsie.  He was told not to go to Jerusalem, but he went anyway.  It just about killed him.  Moses had his moments.  Peter messed up a time or two.  David failed to the degree he lost four sons.  Three to violent deaths.  No matter how godly a person might be, there are times when he or she will disappoint the Father.  God may turn His back on His people.  He must.  He hates sin.  The encouragement comes when we realize this estrangement is not permanent, but very brief.  His rejection is very brief.  His chastening hand is very short.  What a wonderful, loving, patient, and kind Father we have.

I have three sons.  They are outstanding.  They love the LORD and strive to serve Him with their lives.  They are hard workers.  They have a sense of purpose and duty.  In their youth, there were times our relationship was strained.  Disobedience has a way of doing that.  Ignoring, rejecting, or disrespecting Dad has a way of changing the dynamics of the parent-child relationship.  As a parent, it is hard to stay mad at them for very long.  As a Dad, you want to hang with your son.  You want to go fishing, hunting, or watch a ballgame.  You want some time with your child because he or she is very special to you.  The desire for company and the value of that child far exceeds the infraction which they committed.  The same is true with the Father.  He placed all His wrath on His Son.  For our sakes, Jesus suffered all that we deserve.  Therefore, separation is but for a brief moment.  God will not stay angry forever.  He will restore.  He will reconcile.  His love is and will be eternal.  Praise be to God.