We don’t get ‘do overs’ when it comes to raising our kids...or even living out our own personal lives, for that matter. And depending on your age as you read this, that could either land as a legitimate and sobering word of advice to heed...or it may have hit you like a ton of bricks, feeling like the ultimate ‘gut punch’. As we all know...one cannot ‘undo’...the past...

But God...

“...because you have forgotten the law of your God...I will forget your children” – God. (Hosea 4:6). What would prompt a loving God to even say such a thing?

One of the biggest mistakes we can make as a NT Christian ‘believer’...is to try and ‘separate’ the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New Testament, and to dismiss much of what we have come to learn about Him and our understanding of His nature and character. Far too many people prefer to avoid OT readings because they view ‘that God’ as angry and vindictive who placed way too many unreasonable expectations on His people, with all this talk about being ‘holy and separate’. In fact, even the people back then got tired of hearing these prophets who came to warn the people to change their ways (Isa. 30:8-11; Matt. 23:37).

God makes it rather clear: “I am the Lord, I do not change.” (Mal. 3:6).

John writes and informs us that ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...and we beheld His glory...” (John 1:1,14)

We are told that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God” and the “express image of His person” (Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3). Jesus reminded His followers that “If you have seen Me, then you have seen the Father” (John 14:9)...”for the Father and I are one” (John 10:30) and that “no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

To hear the way many misguided ‘believers’ think today, they tend to see Jesus as some ‘remade, new and improved version’ of God who underwent some divine ‘makeover’; and when He came...His message was basically one to tell people to ‘chill’...the Father loves you...He didn’t really mean to come across so angry and vengeful and full of wrath. And all that talk about ‘fulfilling the law’...don’t worry about that...I got you’re your back and I fulfilled everything; so just profess to believe in Me, accept me into your heart as your personal Savior and try your best to live for me, but know that it’s all grace and mercy that covers you and saves you.

Then there’s that last piece of advice He gives us to spend time in His word, join a church...and hang tight until I come back to get you out of here before...that ‘older version of Me’ comes back to pour all hell out on this place.

Sound familiar?

When God was preparing the people to go in to take possession of the promised land He had set aside for them, He gave them quite the tutorial-review in the Book of Deuteronomy. And I point this out because Paul points to this generation of folks as ‘examples and warnings to us...upon whom the end of the ages has come’ (1 Cor. 10:6-11). After that infamous chapter 28 with all the blessings and curses, there is one more reminder as to what the people can expect if they think they can continue to live according to the dictates of their own hearts...and still have ‘peace’ (Deut. 29:18-20). And it’s not a pretty scene nor a desirable outcome, so we would do good to sit up and take notice.

As you read through the rest of that chapter 29, you get the impression that there will be a day that comes...that the people will fail and fall away; and it’s not a matter of ‘if’...but ‘when’. In fact, He indicates that ‘all the nations’ would see the fall out (plagues and sickness that the Lord has laid on them) and will ask...’Why has the Lord done so to this land/people’? (29:22-24)

And these people will get the answer: “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers...’ (29:25)...explaining further how “the anger of the Lord was aroused against this land to bring on it every curse that is written in this book...” (27).

Now...here comes the ‘but God’...part I mentioned at the beginning. God seems to know our inclinations and tendencies...and in spite of them...He still loves us and never stops looking and desiring...for us to return to Him. But we have to ‘come to Him’. And chapter 30 of Deuteronomy paints out a beautiful picture of what we can expect when we do that, as in ‘come to Him’...’with all our heart and all our soul’. But we have to come to Him, which Jesus would point out much later...not everyone is ‘willing’ to do that. Go figure. (John 3:19-21; 5:40; Matt. 23:37)

God is, without a doubt...a God of ‘restoration’. He is...the ultimate ‘make over King’ who knows how to raise up ‘beauty from the ashes’ (Isa. 61:3). Why He even showed out one time and displayed what He can do... for Ezekiel...when He raised up a valley of ‘dry bones’ (Ezek. 37:1-14). But you have to come to Him; sort of like what we saw in the story of the prodigal son, in Luke 15.

And if you are tempted to conclude that you are so far gone...that you have messed up one time too many...and that there is no hope for you and your ‘situation’...then you underestimate God, and don’t know Him very well. But you have to come to Him. And tomorrow...I will share with you a story from the OT that you don’t want to miss. In the meantime, if you get a chance, read through the book of Lamentations 1-4. It describes pretty much the aftermath of what God said would happen, there in Deut. 29; and it includes that part explaining why their children had 'gone into captivity'...

But God...