natural consequences

Psalm 75:2, "You say, 'I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly."

In this psalm, Asaph is thanking God for being a righteous judge with His people.  He also warns the wicked to repent and realizes that God's people grow stronger with His judgement.  Judgement is for God's glory but His people are the benefactors as well.   

Somewhere along the line there has been a wee disconnect that teachers get a front row seat to.  Johnny (all the poor Johnnys out there whose name has become synonymous with the "bad" kid) makes a poor choice and you have to write/call the parent.  I cringe when it happens because many times I know the response will be all the reasons why it wasn't his fault up to and including that it is my fault.  I cannot count the number of times a year I say to our students, "You cannot always choose what happens to you, but you ALWAYS choose how you respond," as they respond to correction with "Well, he/she..."

There was/is a huge lesson in this psalm for all of us that is timeless.  When we act before a Holy God and choose poorly, He is going to LET us, sometimes, experience the consequences of that choice.  It is a LOVING thing to do.  The lesson is learned and although there are people who insist on learning the hard way and repeating the lesson (myself included, sometimes), so many experience a consequence that is TOUGH and the lesson is learned, you repent and step back onto the right track.  

The HARDEST thing I have done as a parent was let my son experience the consequences of his choices.  Through it I repeated (ad nauseum), "I love you too much to not let you experience the consequences of your choice."  Get that...I love him, I wanted him to learn now instead of later in a harsh world that is not forgiving, that there is judgement for our choices.  God does the exact same to us.  He does not taze us then leave us.  He lets us experience the consequence and stays right next to us while we go through it.  He chooses the time and He chooses justly.  And it is always for our good if we heed the lesson.

Asaph took the lesson the Israelites learned and praised God for it.  He knew they came out stronger and he did the loving thing and tried to warn the wicked.  My poor kids, they got the parent that happens to also be a teacher.  I take everything they say about school with a grain of salt (just btw for all you parents out there, we also take most things that say about home with a grain of salt too); but I know that when that teacher has taken the time to write/call me about something that has happened, the consequences they are a comin'.