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Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Responding to the Kindness of God in love

Reflection

The theme for our reflection is Cruel to be Kind. To be Cruel is to be disposed to inflict pain or suffering thus devoid of humane feelings or to willfully cause pain or suffering to others and feel no concern about it. To be Kind on the other hand means having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature. Moses sings a song about the kindness of God and the cruelty of the Israelites.

The Lord instructed Moses to present Joshua for his commissioning as the new leader of the Israelites who was going to lead them into the promised land (Deut. 31:14ff). After the commissioning, God instructed Moses to write down a song that He would give them, a song that the people could easily learn and remember. This song would warn the new generation and generations to come against the perils of idolatry and the tragic consequences of apostasy. It would also remind them of the goodness and mercy of the Lord (Deut 31:19ff). The song (Deut. 32) traces God’s dealings with Israel and is a concise review of the nation’s history, from their wilderness as sojourners to the judgments in the end times.

Today’s reflection shows us how kind God was to the nation of Israel. How he delivered Israel from Egypt and then came to them in the wilderness at Sinai. The people were helpless yet He claimed them for Himself and made them “the apple of his eye,” referring to the pupil of the eye. Just like the Israelites, we have also been found in desert places; places so dry and choking full of hopelessness, poverty in spirit, soul and body, disgrace, stubbornness, unfaithfulness, pain, rejection and the likes because of our sins and disobedience to God. In our twistedness and corruption, God in his divine sovereignty and kindness chose to love and care for us through Jesus Christ without us asking for help. Like He did for Israel, God has “shielded us and cared for us; he guarded us as the apple of his eye, like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions” (Deut. 32:10b – 11) yet we, just like the Israelites, show cruelty to the kindness of God by our perversion and unbelieve. We have turned away to other gods; becoming futile in our thinking and with darkened hearts exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal beings and priding ourselves in our cerebral excellence.

Amongst ourselves, we desire to receive acts of kindness from people when we treat them with kindness. We get broken and disappointed when our kindness to people is repaid with cruelty. Due to the inhumane nature of willfully causing pain or suffering to others and the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most has grown cold (Matt. 24:12). God is not cruel to be kind to us, nor has he ever desired to leave us in our cruelty. God is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect us from the evil one. He would encircle us with his love and keep us as the apple of his eyes. We, in return, should not take for granted God’s gift of kindness but have confidence in the Lord and continue to do the things He desires from us. May the Lord direct your heart into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. Shalom

PRAYER

Ever kind and faithful God, keep our hearts from getting cold. Continually keep us in remembrance of the wonderful things you have done and will do for us through Jesus Christ. Guide our hearts from any form of wickedness towards you and help us resist every tendency of following other gods, in Jesus name. Amen

Courage Paemka (Rev)