Day 239/365- 2 Chronicles 36:15-16

"The Point of No Return"

The Lord, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple. But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the Lord's anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done. (2 Chronicles 36:15, 16 NLT)

I'm sure these words are among the most terrifying, not only in the Bible but in the whole of human history. "The Lord's anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done." The people of God reached the point of no return. That place where you have gone so far that it's not only too late to turn back but it's impossible to do so. What a helpless place to be.

We have all been here in some area & time in our lives. We have gone further than we intended & find ourselves stuck in a place that we never thought we would even consider going. Whether it's sin or just poor judgment & decision making, the point of no return is an eerie feeling.

Imagine what it felt like for God's people to be here. God has sent prophet after prophet to his people. He has come to them countless times to get them to turn back to him. He has sent them numerous warnings about the dangers of walking in disobedience. And yet, time after they have rejected the discipline of God & walked on. They have refused to listen & instead taken their own path. And finally God had enough. Even his mercy found a limit. He still loved them but they were left to face the consequences of their sin without his help.

I can't help but be grieved at the thought conveyed in this passage. How many people have been convicted in their hearts time after time but refused to repent? How many times has God sent his messenger & message to them about his love & desire for them to come back, only to be rejected? How many people have rejected Christ's call to be saved? And at what point do we reach the point of no return?

Is it possible that we could reject the Lord so much that he no longer can restrain his anger & nothing can be done for us?

If God is speaking to our hearts about our need for him, the urgency to repent is immense. If it's a matter of surrender in our lives then we must surrender. If it's a matter of trusting Jesus for the first time then we must trust him! No matter what it is, let's return to him & not flirt with the point of no return. It's just not worth it. Our lives are at stake!