Isaiah 9

From the day Adam and Eve sinned, God’s perfect creation is under His curse. Death, illness, hurricanes, earthquakes, all of it is God’s righteous judgment on a fallen world. If it were not for the grace of Almighty God, we wouldn’t even exist. As it is, anything good on this earth and in our lives is God’s gracious intervention. It’s God restraining His hand of judgment.

When bad things happen we often ask, “Why, God?” as if we still lived in Eden. We expect perfection and are confused when we suffer.

Instead, we should be asking, “Why, God?” when things are going well, when we are blessed and happily going about our day, in spite of our sin.

Therefore, the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is godless and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaks folly. In all this His anger has not turned away, and His hand is stretched out still. (Isaiah 9:17)

Don’t be fooled. God’s anger still burns against the sin in this world, which in reality is the sin in your life and mine. He hasn’t decided against destroying this world. His hand is still stretched out, ready to give the word. “Why, God? Who are we that you should refrain from giving us the judgment we deserve?”

The answer? His grace.

So the next time you are tempted to shake your fist at God, or act like turning your back on Him is something you don’t do every time you sin, STOP! Every breath you take, every time you laugh and love, every day you are alive, you are enjoying the grace of God.

You, my friend, are already blessed much more than you deserve.