God allows us the most absurd liberalities. Flooding oxygen into the lungs of one who hoards much and gives little. Calling the sun to rise over one who has repeatedly dishonored His holy Name. Growing food for one who comes into Him throne room to complain. Pumping blood through the veins of one who won’t even acknowledge His existence.
If it were a man, it might make sense. I complain. You complain. We’ll both get over it, right? It’s just the way we are. But for a perfect, unerring God to put up with imperfect, oft-erring man? Well, it might have been easier if He’d just gotten Himself a dog. At least they know not to potty on the carpet.
And yet He will insist on offering us forgiveness. What illogical mercy! What startling pity! He makes such unheard-of allowances for us. It is near ridiculous the forbearance we get from Him. Any other god would have rejected us already. Any other god would have sent us straight to hell. Forget time out. Forget counting to ten. Any other god would have killed us on the spot. That’s the thing that surprises me most. That we’re not already dead.
I don’t understand God’s grace. I look at Job with his accusations and David with his adultery and Peter with his denial, and it seems to me that anyone else would have been thoroughly disgusted with these men. Demanding a courtroom trial with God as though He were human? Killing a woman’s husband so he won’t find out you got her pregnant? Standing in the same room as Jesus and swearing you’ve never met the man before? Really? If I ruled the world, I would have hung the whole lot of them. It’s what they deserve. So, how does God respond? By calling Job “My servant.” By saying of David that he was “a man after My own heart.” By telling Peter, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it.”
I don’t understand it. Why God would open the doors to welcome a murderer into His throne room. Why He would let a rapist into His Heaven. Why He would find pleasure in the praises of a drunk. Why He would speak to a pornography addict. Why He would listen to a single word from a selfish, disagreeable, vicious little fool. But He does. And I’m grateful.
