“As surely as I live,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!” (Ezekiel 33:11, NIV 1984).
My Musings – God gets a bad rap these days. Blamed for war, disease, natural disasters. But most of all, for being too harsh in the punishment of those who reject the remedy. Many of them “good” people. “[He] takes no pleasure in” any of these things. None of these things existed in the world as He created it. All was good. Only one thing was forbidden. But when that one thing was disobeyed all of the other things followed. Not His doing, but ours.
My Advice -He did “not [want] anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV 1984). So, the unheard of happened. The offended party took the initiative to provide the means by which the offending parties could avoid the consequences of their own doing. Read the verse again. It says “anyone” and “everyone.” The cost of this remedy was high. Impossible for anyone else to pay. But since God paid it, all “anyone” has to do is turn.
For those who do not turn? “He takes no pleasure” that they must “perish.” He would “rather that they turn” and pay nothing. So, “turn!“
The Brew Is A Musing 