For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. Ezekiel 20:32
Children have long feared the boogey man. He may go by different names in different places, but he is the one who hides under the beds and in closets at night. He is the one who makes the sounds they hear behind them as they walk in dark places. He is also responsible for all the creaks and squeaks that sends shivers up the spines of even the most fearless child. He is a man to be feared. Though he may not hurt you, he will cause you to hurt yourself. Stubbed toes in the middle of the night and twisted ankles from running in dark woods are just a couple of the weapons he can use against you. You would do well to look over your shoulder if you expect to escape the boogeyman.
Hopefully, by the time you are a teenager, the boogey man no longer haunts you – or, at least you have realized that he is not real. However, many young people move from fearing the fictional boogey man to treating God as if He were the boogey man. Proverbs 9:10 says that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,” but that is a fear of letting God down, a fear of disappointing His holiness. Many people act as if God is just looking for some small mistake in their lives so He can punish them and make their lives difficult. Nothing can be further from the truth. God is not out to get them.
The first thing you need to understand is that God is a God of absolute mercy. If He punished us for each small thing we did, our lives would be miserable. Ezekiel 18:32 says that God takes no pleasure in executing the punishments He must enact. To satisfy His justice, God must punish those who sin. Secondly, God has a plan for your life that only you can fulfill. As God seeks to accomplish His will in your life, He uses circumstances to help move you toward His plan. As you drift from His perfect plan, He has to use some unpleasant things to help you get back on track. But, it is not because God wants you to be miserable; it is because He is doing it for your good. God can bless you the most when you are following His will; so, He uses the unpleasant times to move you back into a position where He can really bless you.
You see, God is not a boogeyman who is chasing you; He is a loving Father who wants to give His children His best for them. As we seek His purpose, we will begin to see Him as such.
Read also: Ezekiel 18:20-32
Quote of the day: "God is making things happen for you even when you don’t see it, even when you don’t feel it, even when it is not evident…He is working on your prayers.”