God's Mercy Endures Forever!
This is Day 17 of my 40 day Lenten Blog.
Things do not feel like they are going well for society. Are we on the verge of World War III? Are we about to go into another round of Covid lockdowns? Is there going to be civil war in America? Is global warming going to burn us all up? Is there a looming food crisis? Is the economy about to collapse? So many horrible things that the media constantly warn us about.
Could it be that our impending doom is a punishment for turning away from God? Perhaps. The Lord does punish nations for turning away from Him. He also allows nations to suffer in order to turn them back to Him. But whether or not the craziness that seems to be engulfing the world is punishment for our sinfulness or not, one thing is certain, God's mercy will endure.
The people of Judah turned away from God many times and they suffered greatly for it. One time in particular, God allowed the Babylonians to take Jerusalem. The king's sons were killed in front of him before the Babylonians cut out his eyes. Ouch! The people were carried away to Babylon and Jerusalem was laid waste.
But through the prophet Jeremiah the Lord let His people know that despite how bleak it appeared, He had not abandoned them. "In this place that is laid waste, without man or beast, and all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks." Jer. 33:12. "In those days I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." Jer. 33:15. "The Lord is good. for his mercy endures forever." Jer. 33:11.
When everything seemed lost, when the Jews were scattered and enslaved and their lands desolate and laid waste, when even the Temple was destroyed by the enemies of Judah, God promised to return them to the land and to send a righteous ruler to execute justice. Why? Because, despite all of our evil and wickedness, God is merciful. Even though we do not deserve His mercy, He is still merciful.
When the world seems to be spinning out of control, when everything seems to be going wrong, either in our personal lives or in society as a whole, remember that God is sending His Son back to us to rule over us and to right every wrong. God is merciful. He will never abandon us, even when it seems like He has. Because His mercy endures forever.
R.C. VanLandingham is the author of the Peter Puckett series, a Christian children's fantasy that explores what it means to know and love Christ through exciting adventures. His books and blog can be found at rcvanlandingham.com.