The Impatience of God (+Midweek)
Good morning, Immanuel. The Lord is not eager to see us crushed under the weight of our own folly.
“And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel” (Judges 10:15-16).
The patience of God is legendary. God’s patience is rightly celebrated and highlighted from cover to cover in the Bible. Exodus 34:6 comes to mind when God says, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” God’s patience should humble us and move us to worship. We would all do well to contemplate God’s perfect patience.
But how often do we consider God’s impatience? Here in Judges, we glimpse the glory of His impatience. The people were in rebellion against God and giving themselves over to idols. Because of their idolatry, they came under the oppression of their enemies. And then they cried out to the Lord, that He would deliver them, and repented of their idolatry. Their sin led them to misery, just like our sin does today. And even though their misery was a direct result of their rebellion against God, the Lord took no delight in seeing them suffering. He did not become impatient with His people, but instead, became impatient over their misery!
Friends, even when we mess up big time, our Lord is not eager to see us crushed under the weight of our folly. He’s impatient with our misery and patient with us.
MIDWEEK UPDATES
NO WEDNESDAY NIGHT TONIGHT — This is the final week of our winter break. Please join us again next Wednesday, January 10th! Pastor Sam Allberry will address the question, “Will I ever change?” All are welcome!
Celebration Sunday…
Watch the Sunday Service - This Sunday was a joy as Pastor Barnabas preached from Psalm 2.
Looking Forward…
Weekly on Fridays TENTH GENERATION PRAYER - Join us every Friday at 6 am in the Cafe for prayer as we seek the Lord for a long-term home in Nashville. Let’s see what the Lord will do!
Sunday, January 14th: DISCOVER RECEPTION - The next Discover Reception will be hosted in the cafe on January 14th at 10:45 am. If you are new or newish and looking to learn more about Immanuel, RSVP here.
Saturday, January 20th: NEXT STEPS ONE DAY EVENT- Join us on Saturday, January 20th, from 9 am-2 pm in the cafe for Next Steps Day. We will cover the material for all four sessions. Coffee and lunch will be provided. RSVP here.
STAFF PICKS
A curated selection of local food joints, coffee shops, books, and other recommendations by the staff of Immanuel. Today’s staff picks are all about good cheap eats in the Nashville area. These are ranked in no particular order:
Enjoy!
Thankful!