Remember who gives you the ability

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today’s passage?

This is a tricky passage to get into. Yes, it’s about invasion, war, destruction, “no mercy”. And then it’s about love – lots of love! How does that reconcile?

I think this is simply an impossible circle to square by our own standards. We have human rights questions, but God has a plan which is not fully apparent or explained here.

A mistake we could make is trying to take God’s role and work out a better plan here. How about we all get along? Can’t we just live and let live? I want to say that, but I recognise that it’s also, sort of, the problem. People doing their best to work things out by themselves led to all kinds of injustices and some monstrous errors. Other stories make clear that the religions God was ordering Israel not to mix with were not harmless. Some demanded human sacrifices, rape or abuse. All promised more divine power than they could deliver.

But still, who are we to judge? If that’s what you are thinking, I think that’s a GREAT attitude. Judging isn’t for us. But the point of this story was that, in this case, Israel had not appointed itself judge over other nations. It was instead following the judgement of the earth’s creator who alone knew what would happen to conquered souls in terms of eternity, justice and grace. Where we cannot see past death and loss, God can.

What I love about the bulk of this passage is how clear God wants Israel to be that they haven’t won any victories, found freedom, grown a nation, made money or built anything to boast about in their own strength. It’s all the work of God. Forgetting that would be tragic.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God chose to act in a world which could not, and seemingly did not want to, find him by human effort. So he chose a small people to multiply, blessed them in ways which could only be credited to him, and set out to show the world through them that a God-centred life would not just be possible but massively beneficial. God’s plan was to light a beacon of love.

However, God also knew that changing the inclination of the human heart would not be easy or quick. Perhaps he could have made people think differently, but instead he gave freedom, the ability to choose to follow his way or not.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Reflect on the freedom God continues to give, and the love God expects and enables me to show. I will reaffirm to God that I recognise my abilities, including to love, come from him.

Who am I going to share this with?

I rely every day on love from God to pass on as a parent, so I will share with my family.