When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions. Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!
Psalm 65:3–4, ESV
God never leaves His chosen people to fend for themselves. Throughout the Scriptures, we find God rescuing His people. Suffering occurs for the people of God. This is true. God’s chosen people continually forget God and pursue the idols of other nations. God pulls back but never fully leaves His people when they do this, however. He is always near to them. He does not let His anger, however, consume them. God cannot stand unholiness. He is the perfect Father and stands waiting for His prodigals to return to Him. When His chosen realize their error and cry out to Him, He comes quickly and brings restoration. He continually establishes boundaries which He desires for us to mind. When we transgress these boundaries, there will be pain. Pain that we have caused ourselves. Like a child that is warned not to touch something because it’s hot, we may reach out and receive the burn, but the wound will be tended to, and the scar will remain. The hope is that the pain of the error will remind us of the mistake. Pain is a teacher when we fail to remember our Lord’s Word. God forgives, restores, and renews. This is the promise of our Lord.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.