Today's readings are Psalm 130, 2 Chronicles 36:1-23, and Colossians 4:1-18.
Today we read a very brief summary of the fall of Judah and the captivity in Babylon. How do we see God's providence in difficult times? Do we assume that God has abandoned us? Do we think we must have individually done some sinful act which brings punishment?
Notice that in this captivity in Babylon God is giving the land seventy Sabbaths (2 Chron. 36:21) to make up for many generations when people did not obey and give the land its rest. God's actions tend to be much larger than we would think. Rather than viewing hardship as a result of my individual sin, maybe I am best seeing it as a result of the sinful condition of this world.
What then is my solution? As Paul tells the Colossians - pray, be wise, use our time well, speak carefully, and greet one another, encouraging them in Christ. During times of ease or hardship, living our faith out in the community of the saints will always remind us of the big picture. And that big picture says that Jesus has taken away the curse of sin, becoming a curse for us, dying so we can live in him. May we ever live a life of trust in our Lord.
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