Day 11 - Despite Our Issues
- Pastor b.Side
- Mar 11
- 3 min read
“With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the LORD, your Redeemer. - Isaiah 54:8
No one is perfect, which creates significant challenges in our relationship with God. Some believe that human imperfections are simply a part of life and don’t pose any real threat. However, the Bible teaches that our imperfections are worthy of condemnation in hell! God is holy, and His dwelling place is also holy. To be where He is requires holiness, and none of us are born with that. That’s why Jesus said we need to be born again. Since God is righteous, He must deal with sin. Fortunately, God is as merciful as He is righteous and holy. He doesn’t punish us immediately for our sinful condition, especially not to the extent we deserve. The scriptures teach that all people are conceived as sinners and deserving of His wrath in that moment. Yet, He doesn’t treat us as we deserve. Instead, He allows us to live and gradually reveals the greatness of His mercy, patience, and love to save us from the fate we merit.
“With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment…”
How can we be sure of that? When Isaiah 54:8 was written, God had already disciplined His people many times. He warned the Northern Kingdom of Israel about their self-righteousness, shown through their worship of false gods and idols. God sent numerous prophets to warn them. They ignored the warnings, so they faced the consequences. The punishment was severe! Ultimately, God used the Assyrian Empire as His rod of correction. This is what He meant when He said, “With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment.” Before the Assyrian conquest, God protected Israel. They refused to follow His ways, choosing to live by their own standards of right and wrong. God “hid His face” because the people turned away from Him.
God didn’t completely abandon His people. He didn’t treat them as they deserved. He endured a long time while His people rejected Him. He could have made things much worse, but He restrained Himself so that Israel only experienced “a little wrath” instead of the full wrath that God could have justifiably imposed. God treated Israel with kindness through the lens of His eternal nature. He was able to discipline the specific individuals and generations that rejected Him while ultimately preserving the overall integrity of the nation according to His Word.
“But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you…”
Why does God do that? God’s covenants with Israel are eternal, and since God doesn’t change, He is always willing to take the necessary steps to address sin while keeping the integrity of His Word. Looking at Israel’s history clearly shows the greatness of God’s kindness and mercy. The LORD will confront Israel’s rebellion, but not at the expense of His eternally unconditional covenants with them. Similarly, the LORD will deal with our imperfections, but not at the cost of our souls — as long as we seek His mercy, trust in His redemption through repentance, and remember that the focus of God’s work is always eternal.
Prayer for today
Our heavenly Father, help us remember the eternal focus of Your work. We know You must confront our imperfections. Remind us that You will never discipline us to the point of complete destruction, as it contradicts Your promise to redeem those who believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Help us appreciate the integrity of Your Word by recalling the mercy You have shown to Israel for thousands of years. We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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