But they put God to the test. (Ps. 78:56)
IN THE MOVIE The Princess Bride, dangerous men capture the soon-to-be-princess, Buttercup. But they quickly discover a masked man hot on their tail. He rescues Buttercup from them, but his intentions aren’t clear. He angrily confronts Buttercup about her unfaithfulness to her true love when she agreed to marry the prince. And then her rescuer reveals himself to be the very love she’d hurt. Though she’d betrayed him (or so he thought), he still rescued her. His love allowed no less.
The psalmist told a similar, though even more powerful, story. Israel had betrayed the One who loved her most. She’d abandoned the God who had given her everything and had turned to idols. Like a spouse delineating strong boundaries in the relationship, God made it clear that He would not put up with unfaithfulness. It was a rocky time. Yet when her enemies threatened to destroy her, He still rescued her.
There may be times when we turn from God and place other loves ahead of Him. We break His heart when we do so. We may also be walking away from the protection He would offer. There may be consequences. Nevertheless, despite our betrayal, when our enemies close in, He will still fight for us. And win. He’ll still be there, protecting us and ready to forgive when we turn back. We’re secure in such a powerful love!
Search your heart for anything you place before God, then ask His forgiveness.
Diane Gardner lives in the San Francisco Bay area where she enjoys theater, street fairs, and watching the sun set with her husband.
