Studying the prophetic books in the Old Testament has become one of the most enlightening experiences concerning God’s character and his irrevocable promises to Israel.

As one studies God’s chosen people’s history, the blatant back and forth between obedience and disobedience, idolatry, and faithful commitment is eye-opening. Before and after the kingdom’s division, Israel oscillated between faithfulness and idolatry, righteousness and rebellion, depending on which king was on the throne and how prosperous the people became.

In every circumstance, God rose prophets to admonish the people of the consequences of their rebellion. They were unpopular men who stood up to preach against mighty kings, false prophets, and wicked, powerful men. They were ostracized, and even murdered, and yet, their promises concerning Israel’s insurrection and its consequences were fulfilled one by one, often within their lifetime.

Just as God delivered messages about destruction and the foreboding exile through the prophets, he also spoke of restoration, forgiveness, and grace.

For instance, he promised to keep the lineage of King David alive, from which the Messiah would later be born. Therefore, even when evil Jehoiachin — the last king of David’s line through Solomon — did not have children, God caused him to adopt seven sons of Neri, a descendent of Solomon’s brother, Nathan. Jehoiachin’s adopted grandson, Zerubbabel, became Israel’s governor after the exile, thus preserving David’s line, just as God promised.

Indeed, through the years, studying history against these prophecies has become a powerful tool to strengthen my faith in God’s promises and establish a deeper understanding of His unfathomable grace and love for his people.

[bctt tweet=”Studying Israel’s history against prophecies is a powerful tool to strengthen one’s faith in God’s promises and establish a deeper understanding of His unfathomable grace and love for His people. @AJC #MondayMotivation #Godsgrace” username=”PatHolbrook”]

I thought about God’s lavishing grace after reading the commentary on a chapter in the prophet Jeremiah’s book earlier this week. The promise of God’s love and restoration for his people, even after they repeatedly rebelled against him, filled my heart with joy. And as I read the words and understood the concept, God’s message to me was clear:

“Why don’t you give yourself some grace?”

You see, I am the type of person who does not need someone to point my flaws. I will gladly do that for you.

A noble trait, you may say. Indeed, it certainly beats thinking that I am always right, but there comes the point where this “self-awareness” becomes judgmental, pointless, and frankly, mean.

It happens when I make a promise to myself, only to stumble the next day. It occurs when I vow to change something and struggle to do so. I beat myself up and send myself to exile: Exile from joy. Exile from peace. Exile from grace.

It took me many years to understand God as God of love. Because of my religious upbringing, I viewed him as a demanding father with a whip in his hand, ready to punish me for every small flaw.

I’ve come a long way from viewing God as the “man with the whip.” Still, I believe my childhood view of God, together with a strong sense of inadequacy that I experienced as a child, often influences how I understand God’s perspective concerning my shortcomings.

Not that God expects us to disobey him continually and not suffer the consequences. Just as he did concerning Israel, he wants us to be obedient to his precepts, lest we miss the peace and abundant life he offers us. But when it comes to certain failings and inadequacies, we are usually our own and only unmerciful judges.

[bctt tweet=”When it comes to certain failings and inadequacies, we are usually our own and only unmerciful judges. @AJC #Godsgrace #MondayMotivation” username=”PatHolbrook”]

Is there something in your life that keeps creeping up, even though you vow to change? It may be something as simple as sticking to a healthy diet. Or a tendency to gossip. Regardless, instead of beating ourselves up, I believe we would become much more effective if we would grasp that God’s grace not only forgives, but it is also a promise to restore and renew.

While we waste time wallowing in self-loathing and guilt, it would do us good to remember that God does not expect us to be perfect. He knows we cannot. Unless our shortcomings are deliberately sinful or harmful, maybe it’s time we learn to treat ourselves as God does, and finally give ourselves some grace.

[bctt tweet=”Unless your shortcomings are deliberately sinful or harmful, maybe it’s time you learn to treat ourselves as God does, and finally give ourselves some grace. @AJC #Godsgrace #MondayMotivation” username=”PatHolbrook”]

This article was originally published in Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, August 29, 2020. Read it on the AJC’s website HERE.