"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me." (Mt. 23:37)
Two different verses, two different people, two different generations, one heartache, one passion! Today, in my quiet time with God, these two passages in the Bible struck such emotion inside of me.
Two different people. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus Himself was the one speaking. I could feel the pain and the frustration of His heart over the people's rejection of God's message. People missed the blessings of God's visitations through His messengers, the prophets and most importantly, the visitation of God the Son Himself. They wouldn't open their hearts to what God was doing. They didn't understand His Word. They didn't discern God's presence. God reached out but the people wouldn't let His love enter into their lives. Jesus agonized and grieved. The same feeling of pain was evident in the words of the psalmist. Tears gushed out from his eyes as He saw how people disobeyed God's instructions, His Word, His message.
Two different generations, one the same attitude of rejection and rebellion against God. I am in a totally different time. But I see the same condition of the hearts of men. The post modern era definitely shows how the things and the unchanging message of God are abhorred and mocked and abolished. I have to check my heart. In my own generation, in this time of history where God planned for me to live, am I discerning His message? Am I letting Him in total control of my life as I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord, my Savior, my One and Only true God who came here in flesh to reach out from generation to generation?
God is constantly reaching out with His unfailing love to His creation, the ones He made in His image and likeness. But history tells us how our rebellion and disobedience leads us away to God who only wants the best for us! We go our own way, do our own will, ignoring anything about what God has to say that only leads to our own destruction. If only we recognize that great love and care, the very heart of God to reconcile us to Himself, like a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, we will know Him and love Him and experience the joy of being connected with the One who made us. I don't want to miss God! I don't want to miss His message in my own generation, in my own time.
The ache in God's heart, the tears in His eyes and those who know Him are for people to come back to Him and be reconciled to His awesome love. One day, Jesus will come back for those who have recognized and accepted His invitation to come in the Name of the Lord!
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