#soap # 2 Kings 17 ## Title: The Brutal Result of Continual Sin ## Scripture: (2 Kings 17:22-23) “The Israelites followed in the sinful ways of Jeroboam and did not repudiate them. Finally the Lord rejected Israel just as he had warned he would do through all his servants the prophets. Israel was deported from its land to Assyria and remains there to this very day.” (NET) ## Observation: God has more mercy than we can imagine. He is so patient and so kind. But, there is a limit to His longsuffering. The thing that most of us miss is we think God runs out of patience. That’s not it. It’s us who get to the place where only something drastic will get our attention. Then, in His continued kindness, He will allow the worst to happen to us so that we will finally turn back from our wicked ways. We have to remember. God isn’t playing on a finite timetable. He is playing an infinite game. Therefore, He will allow seasons of suffering if that is the only way to save us in eternity. We do this all the time too. For example, if you have a splinter in your finger, most of us are willing to endure momentary pain in order to get the splinter out. We know that a few minutes of discomfort will make things better in the long run. God does the same thing but on a much more massive scale with the same result in mind. He still loves you when you go through hard times. ## Application: Don’t see God as your enemy today. Instead, ask what He is teaching you or doing in you in each difficult situation. ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for being trustworthy.