Tripp:When you think of God’s care, what picture comes into your mind?

Because he is zealous to rescue you from you, God’s care can be violent. He rips you from what is dangerous to give you what is better.

When you think of God’s care, what picture comes into your mind? When you consider God’s grace, what mental images does the term grace conjure up? Could it be that there are times in your life when you are crying out for the grace of God even though you’re getting it? God’s grace does not always come in the form of comfort and encouragement. His care doesn’t always mean relief and release. Could it be that the “care” that we often cry out for is not the care that we really need?

Judg. 2:11–19 says

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger.… So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.…
Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD, and they did not do so. Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

God sent the violent care of trouble in order to rescue their hearts from idolatry, but all that his children wanted was the situational care of freedom from their enemies, and when they got it, they turned back to their sinful ways. Today, what kind of care do you long for from the hands of your Messiah of grace?

Tripp, P. D. (2014). New morning mercies: a daily gospel devotional (p. 285). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Comments

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