God Who Tries

Reading the Bible with faith in God works to change our perspective and outlook.  Being the word of God, the Bible is the upright standard by which all claims, assumptions and beliefs are measured by.  When I hear a cliche, read a quote or see the heading of a video, my immediate response is to consider if it is biblically accurate.  A heading that grabbed my attention yesterday was, "God will try to warn you."  While it is clear people do not always heed God's warnings, the Scripture is clear God does not "try" to do anything--as if He lacks the ability, skill or wisdom to do everything.  Job concluded in concerning God's ability in Job 42:2:  "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You."

God does not "try" to warn people:  He warns them.  Whenever God says He will do something, His doing it depends entirely upon His righteousness and almighty power.  In the song of Moses God declared in Deuteronomy 32:39-43: "Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. ⁴⁰ For I raise My hand to heaven, and say, "As I live forever, ⁴¹ If I whet My glittering sword, and My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, and repay those who hate Me. ⁴² I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh, with the blood of the slain and the captives, from the heads of the leaders of the enemy."  God does not "try" to kill or make alive; He does not "try" to judge His people or render vengeance upon His enemies.  His arrows will not miss their target, and His sword will always hit its intended mark.  As Proverbs 21:30 says, "There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the LORD."

We may try to heed God's warnings and forget.  We try to do what is right and fail, but God never fails to fulfil the words that go out of His mouth.  He does not try in vain to communicate to us, but we fail to listen to Him or heed His word.  What God does with His warnings is He "tries" us, to test to see if we will obey Him or not.  He refines us as gold is refined in a crucible and allows us to experience trials to purify our character and strengthen our faith.  He tries us by chastisement for the purpose of restoring us to Himself by repentance.  God does not "try" to try us, for even when we resist His guidance and refuse to go His way His will is being accomplished through His divine tests.  Glory to God He is not like a man who tries and falls short of perfection, unable to do all He intends.

With confidence in God's ability to do everything, we ought to rejoice in His omnipotent power and goodness as it is written in Deuteronomy 32:43:  "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people."  God will avenge the blood of His servants, render vengeance to His adversaries, and will provide atonement for His people.  As surely as Jesus Himself provided atonement for the sins of Jews and Gentiles with His own blood, God will take vengeance upon His enemies.  Without straining or working at all--without trying--God does everything He says He will.