"The unknown wood of the Ark was covered with a tar/pitch on the inside and the outside ... that no matter what would batter the vessel from the inside or the outside ... Atonement was protected - the occupants would be safe, and saved." (RS)
“Praise waiteth for Thee O God” Psalm 65:1, God’s character is so different from ours. We really have no clue as to the manifold difference of His amazing character, but if our hearts are welcoming His care, we can get glimpses of glory for “faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen”.
For a moment ... Think of the communication gap and bridge between an infant and a parent. Even though there is a momentous physical, mental and emotional difference between them; trust and reliance grows as it is learned moment by moment with every interaction on the part of both the parent and the child. {Trust Him as an infant trusts the parent. “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child she in no wise enter therein.” Luke 18:17. Seek this relationship early on.} Because of needs being met, a most beautiful smile develops between of the forming character of the infant and the parent; this smile was directly related to the helpless response of the child to the reception of the parents tender care.
But we still have such a long way to go and there will always be a gap in communication “Why is the baby crying?” - “He is a grown man, what was he thinking?” This earthly relationship is always under the scrutiny of our “quick to doubt” hearts; and stays within the never ending turn of our mortal learning curve.
His ways are not our ways ...God does not have to stare at us, nor carefully scrutinize our condition, nor question why we did whatever we did, or plan what is His next steps would be with us: He hears our prayers ... He is constantly connected by the faithfulness of His Spirit to our deepest needs and desires. Unlike us, In Him there is no misunderstanding, no ulterior motives, no embarrassments because of our poor decisions, no disappointment by our self-inflicted scars ... only the purest preparation for the outpouring of His Grace into our groaning for His Eternal Love.
Today, tomorrow or sometime in the near or distant future, we will all face a discrepancy or defect in our character that will produce a falling that will be of our choosing: we will need Him. We will need His grace, His forgiveness, and His love ... that will lead to our restoration and new re-purposing of our lives.
He was a fisherman, then a follower, then a denier, a liar, and a curser. Oh, there was no way he could be brought back into the Love circle. No way, until he would hear “His voice” say - "Lovest thou Me?" And three times he would hear his own voice say “Thou knowest!”
Our sinful choices will deny our eternal position in Him. Our momentary iniquity will cause us to lie about our “blood” connection to Him. And we may even find that we will try to fade and fold into the crowd of unbelievers via a curse or an oath. BUT because "He first loved us"... we will find Him waiting, we will know He is longing for us to turn His way ... and when even before it happens He will be running toward us with open arms, a robe, a ring and a welcome home reception.
The pain and memories of failure
will be ours for a time,
but daily applying His words to our scars
they will become His and not just mine
... little by little ...
Our past indiscretions will be forged into a weapons
that will be turn back the darkness of pride and bring a new dawning of freedom and light.
“Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions,
Thou shalt purge them away.” Psalm 65:3
(Purge - to cover over, propitiate, atone, reconcile, to cover over with pitch ... do you remember anything that was covered by pitch - within and without?)
HLFA,
Jeff