The Lord declares: "I AM GOD, AND NOT MAN!" 

"I will not execute the fierceness of My anger! I will not again destroy Ephraim, for I am God, and not man, the Holy One in your midst and I will not come with terror." (Hosea 11:9) Thus spoke the Lord, when assigning a reason for not executing the fierceness of His wrath upon the guilty and rebellious Israel.

It is easy for us to define God in terms of our own expectations and behavior. In so doing, we make Him just slightly larger than ourselves. In reality, God is infinitely greater than we are! Incomparable! God can do what a man cannot! God can bear what a man cannot! God always acts in accordance with the grandeur, glory, and greatness of His nature. Every thought of His heart, every word of His mouth and every work of His hand is worthy of Himself! If we bear this in mind, it will fortify our minds, strengthen our faith and comfort our souls.

Why does God not cut down the wicked immediately? Because He is God and not man!   

Why does He chasten His people so greatly and allow them to suffer so much? Because He is God and not man!  

Let us meditate on these declarations of our God for a few moments!  

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I am infinitely patient, and not soon moved to take vengeance upon My sinful and rebellious creatures!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I am ready to forgive, and receive back the returning prodigal to My heart and home!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I receive great sinners, taking to My heart, and putting among My children, such despicable ones as no one else would notice or regard!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I pardon again and again, not only first offences but unwillingly repeated transgressions, forgiving and forgetting them forever!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore bear with such numerous affronts, such gross ingratitude, such inexcusable conduct in My own people!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I invite, entreat and beseech such base backsliders to return unto Me, and prove the power and freeness of My forgiving love!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I save freely, fully, and forever such degraded, depraved and desperate sinners, to the praise of the glory of My grace!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I remain faithful to My promises and covenant engagements, amidst all the changes and faithlessness of My fickle people!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I give such rich, costly, priceless gifts to the poor, destitute and unworthy sinners!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I hear, accept, and answer, such poor, imperfect, and worthless prayers which, no one else could tolerate, much less approve!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore I work such wonders - wonders in providence, wonders in grace; wonders in the world and wonders in the heart!

》 "I am God, and not man," and therefore, I have prepared such mansions and will confer such a glorious Kingdom on sinners who have no claim upon Me, nor the least reason to expect any good thing from Me!

Yes, beloved readers, because He is God, and changes not, us, sinning, changeable creatures are not consumed! The Lord declares: "I am God, and not man!" therefore expect from Him as God and act toward Him as God! We should seek to know Him personally for who He really is rather than attempting to remake Him in our image. He can do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think! We must not measure His heart by ours, but remember that as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His thoughts higher than our thoughts, and His ways than our ways! (Isaiah 55:9) Amen!  

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be Glory and Majesty, Dominion and Power, both now and forever. AMEN!" (Jude 1:24‭-‬25)