The Lord's Punishment

Scripture: Although the Aramean army had come with only a few men, the Lord delivered into their hands a much larger army. Because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, judgment was executed on Joash. 2 Chronicles 24:12

Observation: Joash had himself respected God. He had kept the commands, repaired the temple. He "did what was right in he eyes of the Lord." However, he was punished as a result of the actions of his people, Judah.

Application: God is always working both within the lives of individuals, and at the "big picture" level. Judah and Israel were both in the process of forsaking God. As a result, he started allowing foreign powers to bring punishment upon the people. They raided and took land, cities and people. This was a big-picture action ... as the nations rebelled, he punished, and even though Joash did what was right he didn't escape that punishment.

We are seeing this happen in the world around us now. We see people - large portions of the world - in full rebellion against God. We see nations that used to be guided by godly principles now abandoning them. And across the board, if you look big picture, we see God responding. That response might look evil - and it is - but that does not mean it isn't a result of God's will in allowing it to happen.

It is necessary for myself and the church in general to consider this: Emerging evil in the world, in the "west", in the U.S., and in Seattle is a response to forsaking God. Sometimes it looks like innocent victims getting hurt, but that isn't the big picture perspective.

What can we do? We can stem the rebellion. We can do whatever we can do to keep people aligned to God. It isn't just about comforting the people on the fringes of society, it is about changing society. We are called to no less than to change the world.

Prayer: Lord, may we remain strong and not be shaken. Give us the courage to change the world. Help me to see how I can change the world around me, influencing whom I can, to keep the world focused on you. Amen.