That's What It's All About

Excerpts from Psalm 12

Life, culture, and world news today can leave us on our knees. Sufferings and tragedies make it easy to look at life and ask God, "How much longer??" 

When the Lord created the universe, He rested on the seventh day and He said, "It is good." 

But now? 

The world once created in perfect beauty and splendor; made in His likeness and power...what would He say about it today?

"Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race." This was written by David over 2,000 years ago. Sometimes we focus on present evils, and we forget that our world has been sin filled and corrupt for a long, long time. 

"Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts."

When we ache for Christ's return and long for God to avenge sin, we are in good company. Revelation 6:10 talks of the martyrs in Heaven: "They cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"

What is God waiting for? When will He destroy the persecutors, the murderers, the molesters, the pedophiles, the rapists, the terrorists, the abusers, the corrupt? The list goes on. 

2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord does not delay and is not slow about what He promises, according to some people's conception of slowness, but He is long-suffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance.

We are all in need of God's mercy and forgiveness. We offend the living God with our shortcomings and failures time after time. But He is long-suffering. Extraordinarily patient. Why? He doesn't desire any to perish, but He wants all to come to repentance.

This week, when you hear a news story or face a situation that wrenches your heart, remember that God sees it. He knows. It hurts His heart too. 

"And consider that the long-suffering of our Lord [His slowness in avenging wrongs and judging the world] is salvation" 2 Peter 3:15a.

Salvation. That's what it's all about.