There are two passages assigned for today!

SCRIPTURE: 2 Thessalonians 1
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. [2 Thessalonians 1:7-9]
This is the part that irritates many people – that those who reject Jesus will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord.
How can a God of love, how can a loving Saviour, do this?
I will be the first to admit that the thought of anyone not receiving life from God is very tough to accept.
Is God cruel, or is there something else going on here?

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. [Matthew 23:37-38]
How do we reconcile the intense longing of Jesus to gather and protect the people of Jerusalem to Himself with His declaration that their house will be abandoned and desolate?
Is it that Jesus wants everyone to come to Him, but knows that not everyone will choose to do so?
Is it not the same longing of a parent, who desperately hopes that their child will reject the drugs that are destroying them, and come back home to their love, their protection?
But you wouldn’t let me…

However we may understand the doctrine of election (that God chooses some, but not others, something the bible hints at but does not explain – a mystery), from where we stand we must respond.
God does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. [2 Peter 3:9]
The key is repentance, to admit that we are wrong, to come to our senses, to see the truth of God and life.
As long as the child refuses to let go of the drugs, they will not be able to be protected by their parents.
They will continue to go places and do things that will leave the abandoned and desolate.

Through this life, God and Jesus are doing everything they can to call people back.
But if people refuse, at the end of the day God will give them what they wanted – forever without God.
Jesus is not imposing an arbitrary judgment on unwilling victims; when He comes back He will stand as a gate, and those that refused Him will run away, will choose to enter darkness than be exposed in His light.
The judgment that He announces will be nothing less than what they have chosen.
Jesus says “come to me and I will give you rest”; and people say “no way!”
Jesus keeps on inviting and calling, but one day He will finally say, “OK, have it your way!”

Jesus is beckoning right now, not wanting us to be destroyed but the find life through repentance!
What will we say?

PRAYER:
Lord, I cling to this, that You do not want anyone to be destroyed, and that You are calling and calling and calling, and will not give up until the last day. Lord, I come to You; hold me close and protect me!