God’s Heart for His People

God is pictured in the Scriptures as the One who scatters as well as the One who gathers. In the days the tower of Babel was built God scattered the people all over the earth. He also gave them different languages, and the result was that people became strangers to each other. But that was not really what God ever wanted. He had created man for fellowship, not for loneliness; for being family, not strangers.

The extraordinary actions God took at Babel must have been so painful to him! Instead of gathering, He had to send those He had created even further away from Himself, to prevent more evil from spreading on earth. Doing this was to make it even harder for Him to once again gather the scattered and build family.

Sin had shown its real nature in the garden of Eden and at the tower of Babel, but the real depth of sin was not revealed until God attempted to gather those He had scattered: ‘How often I have longed to gather… but you were not willing’. God met with resistance from those whom He wanted to bless. When the light came into the world people loved darkness more than light.

God is the God who never gives up. He sent His Son, He sent the apostles, He is sending wave after wave of invitations to people - who mostly say “no”. His hope is that one day they will, like the prodigal son, come to their senses, say “yes”, and come back. What patience, what love, and what endurance God shows! He never gives up!

Do you feel hurt when people say “no thanks” to you? You try to do your best for them. You tell them of what God’s done in your life. You offer them the very best thing you can imagine: peace and hope, belonging and security. But you just get another “no”. It’s so easy to give up, and there seems to be so many good excuses for doing so.

But wait, doesn´t the Bible talk about us, as our heavenly Father´s children, being like Him? And doesn´t it say something about digging around the tree one more time, in hope that there will finally be some fruit?

God wants us to have His heart for people. He’s showing us His patience that we should also show patience. He’s showing us His love that we should also show love. He’s calling us to draw closer to Him that we should, in turn, bring others closer to Him. You and I are part of God’s calling and drawing people. Shouldn’t we be doing the same as Him? Hoping, waiting, longing, and never giving up?

Hopefully this is the day when someone will stop saying “no”, and be gathered back to God again. Then this will be a day of great joy in heaven, and it would be great to share in that joy here on earth too!