For
the Lord will not forsake His
people, for His great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people. Moreover,
as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I
will teach you the good and the right way.
(1 Sam 12:22-23)
The
children of Israel had sinned greatly in asking for an earthly king and
rejecting the Heavenly King. They looked away from God and looked to the world,
and if we are not careful, we are sure to do the same. Yet the Lord did not use
Israel’s disobedience against them, but He lovingly rebuked them and set
Himself to bless them still. As such, He is not only our God when we make right
choices, but also when our choices are poor. He is our God, even of our
mistakes.
God
chose us as members of His body and church, and He knew what He was doing. He
did not choose us because we were righteous and able (we were not), but out of
His love and His sovereign right as God, He made us who we are by His grace.
Our goodness did not qualify us, nor will our shortcomings disqualify us,
because His mind is already made up about us;
Who
shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. (Romans 8:33)
Therefore,
the children God chooses must operate with a deeply–rooted confidence in the
God who knows us best, and we follow Him with boldness and assurance even in
precarious times. Even our good deeds and good intentions are not the point –
they are simply the overflow of the life hidden with God in Christ. So, stay
hidden, and go forward with the God Who sees you in the secret place and
rewards you openly. He will never leave nor forsake you – even when you blow
it!
