We are inevitably a product of our culture. We can’t help it. An example of this is when something bad happens to us, the first question in our head is “why?” Why would God allow such a thing to us? This says a lot about our expectations and what we think we deserve. We expect trouble-free lives. We think we deserve happiness. We deserve good things in this life. And that’s why when something happens to the contrary, we are bewildered. This is an American thing.

It is certainly not a biblical thing. We should be surprised when something good happens. We should be thankful if someone cut us off in traffic because that’s a reminder that we have a car! We should be grateful when we are standing in line and the cash register lady is taking forever because that means we have money to buy stuff. We should be thrilled when our children are being annoying because that means we are with them! (Would you rather not have them with you at all?)

When God tells the Prophet Isaiah to preach to the people so that they will harden their hearts against the Lord, if Isaiah were an American, his question would’ve been “why?” “Why would you want me to turn their hearts against you? Don’t you want me to turn their hearts TOWARD you?” But that wasn’t his question. His question was “How long?” (Isa 6:11) In other words, he knew his people fully deserved it. He knew that they didn’t deserve God’s mercy and turn and be saved. His expectation was that if people suffer, that’s precisely what they deserved! But God does’t leave it there. He gives him hope by saying that the “holy seed” is in the stump of the tree just cut down. He was referring to His Son who will show them grace when they deserved none.

Why not change our expectations? Rather than being surprised when something bad happens, be surprised when something good happens. And do not take God’s mercy for granted. Remember what we deserved?

PH