289 God Experiences Humanity’s Hardships
1 When the waters swallow humans whole, God saves them from those stagnant waters and gives them a chance to live anew. When people lose their confidence to live, God pulls them up from the brink of death, granting them the courage to go on so that they can use Him as a foundation for their existence. When people disobey God, He causes them to know Him from within their disobedience. In light of humanity’s old nature, and in light of His mercy, rather than putting humans to death, God allows them to repent and make a fresh start. When they suffer famine, even though they have a single breath left in their bodies, God wrests them from death, preventing them from falling prey to Satan’s trickery.
2 So many times people have seen God’s hand, so many times they have witnessed God’s kind countenance and smiling face, and so many times they have seen God’s majesty and wrath. Though humans have never known God, He does not seize upon their weaknesses as opportunities for being deliberately provocative. Experiencing humanity’s hardships has enabled God to sympathize with human weakness. It is only in response to people’s disobedience and ingratitude that God metes out varying degrees of chastisements.
Adapted from The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God’s Words to the Entire Universe, Chapter 14
