I just read in Ezekiel where God’s presence left the Temple in Jerusalem, some years after the first group of Israelis were kicked out of the Land. Before God took off, however, King Manasseh put all kinds of garbage “in the temple of the LORD” to foreign gods, even an Asherah pole carved by human hands!
This had to tick God off; and yet, He stayed. Keep in mind, in 1 Samuel 4, God made Dagon, the Philistine god, bow down to Him. And yet, even through Judah’s darkest hours, God hung in there. What a picture of grace! God was being slimmed and He took it.
Now think about the current temple in which God resides, believers in Christ. Think about how much Jesus puts up with our antics. Our junk thoughts. Our purpose based goals and driven actions, even “Christian” ones. Our time fillers that leave no room for Jesus and His Word. (The Temple was so thrashed they had to “find the Book of the Law” buried under lots of junk!)
This perspective on grace should give you something to raise your voice in thanks about this Friday. Give thanks to the Father for the reality of Romans 8:37-39 where nothing, not even the junk in our lives, can separate us from His love. Thank the Spirit for sticking around through the stench of our garbage to remove those junk thoughts, words and actions. Thank Jesus, that despite our junk, He walks and talks with us. What a great God we have indeed. It’s time to thank Him for all He does for us, despite ourselves.
S“E”t Free Nowww