The Heart of God

Jeremiah 5/Gen 18 Have you ever felt the deepness of a heart’s sadness? The world seems shattered, and all we see is disaster all around us. At times like this, our words lay fallow in our prayers—or so we think. We wonder, as Jeremiah did, Is there any good news, or Is it all bad news? But step aside and listen: God asks Jeremiah to go, “See if you can find a single person who deals honestly and tries to be truthful. If you can, then I will not punish this city.” [Jer 5:1] Does this ring a bell about another story with a similar thread? In Gen 18, Abraham and the Lord God conversed about Sodom and Gomorrah. Our merciful God had quietly shared with Abraham: “I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests; if NOT, I want to know.” [Gen 18:20-21]

By definition, we say one of God’s characteristics is His omniscience. God is “compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” [Ps 145:8] Because He is that and more and not an arbitrary idol god, He always thoroughly investigates a situation before passing judgment and sending calamity. He judges the evidence just as a judge does in a courtroom. God does the same for each of us.

Stop and think about this: God judges righteously and not capriciously.  

How grateful I am to serve God with these character qualities; how about you?