For His Lovingkindness is Everlasting

October 27
I was reading Psalm 136 this morning and noticed the above phrase was repeated 26 times in 26 verses. What was also interesting and should be disconcerting for some is that several verses indicate God’s lovingkindness was perfectly demonstrated by destroying Israel’s enemies. I believe God continues today to destroy those who mess with His children. What I don’t mean by that is that God strikes with lightening every man, woman, or child who calls one of His children an obscene name. What I do mean about that statement can best be understood from personal experiences I have had in the past 38 years of walking with Jesus.


Sometime about 1975 Sharon and I bought a 1972 Chevrolet Vega. It was one of the first aluminum engine blocks used here in America and it was a dismal failure. Of course, we didn’t know that at the time, so we bought it. It blew a head gasket so we took it to a local repair shop where the mechanic charged us over a $100 (a sizeable sum at that time) to fixed it. I don’t remember the exact timing, but it was only a few days at most before the gasket blew again. I took it back to him and asked that he fix it right. He refused telling me the aluminum block was the problem not his repair work. I told him I was a Christian and had no intention of suing him but that he would be wise to honor his work and fix it right. I suggested as kindly as I could that God doesn’t like people messing with His children.

He chuckled and basically mocked my words. A couple of weeks later I read in the newspaper that his shop had burned down. Possibly he did the same thing to someone not quite as kind about it, who decided that was a good way to get revenge. I don’t have a clue how it happened, but I believe, however it worked out in life, God got revenge for someone messing with one of His children. I truly did, according to the principle of Romans 12:17-19, bless him and left his demise into the hands of God. God says to us, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.”

On another occasion, I worked as a police officer in a small town in Arizona. I made no secret I was a Christian and shared my faith with fellow officers when we were on breaks, after work, and with many of the people I arrested, just quickly mentioning I was available to help them after they got out of jail if they needed my help. I had an incredible ministry, helping dozens of people get back on their feet after experiencing some bad times with the law. The Chief, an avowed atheist, got wind of my activities and told me I needed to leave my religion home. I told him that wasn’t possible because my relationship with Jesus was at the very core of my being, that I could no more leave that at home than he could come to work naked. He said nothing else to me for a long time. I got into a shooting situation that ended me up in extensive secular counseling (against my wishes). The psychologists involved suggested it would be good for me if I could to retire medically from that job. The chief made sure his recommendation was followed and advised me I was being retired medically, but that the state would, under those circumstances, pay for any schooling I had to take to be trained for some other profession. I returned to school, got my BS in Education/History/Government with a minor in English and went to work as a teacher making a lot more than I had made as a police officer. I knew that chief was taking advantage of that situation to get rid of me because I was an outspoken Christian. But also, in keeping with the principle of scripture as declared Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."  I left that job quietly.

Several months later, I learned he had been fired and was facing criminal charges for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. God doesn’t like people messing with His children. There are three or four other people in my life who have done similar things to me all because I speak up anytime the occasion presents itself and tell others about the wonder and grace of God. I don’t know how God has dealt with them, but I’m quite confident He was, is, and always will be perfectly just. I don’t desire harm to come to those who insist on being my enemy, but I always rest in the knowledge that God jealously cares for His own. "His lovingkindness is everlasting." For His children that’s good news. For our enemies, it’s not such good news. And that’s God’s word for us today.