The Wrath of a Loving God

I was frustrated the other day, driving home from work, tears in my eyes, asking God “Why?”

Why is my life not going the way that I expected?

What is it that you want from me?

I know that you have me where you want me, but what do you want from me in this time?

In that moment, in the very depths of my soul, I knew the answer - My heart. 

The King of the Universe wants my heart? Nothing more?

I sighed with relief as the burden of performance was lifted from my shoulders, and then even as I exhaled, the burden fell again. 

How can I ever love God as He deserves?

            I fail in that every day, my eyes are fixed on myself, and my heart is self absorbed. 

Reading in the book of Jeremiah this morning, I trembled a little as I saw the righteous wrath of God being proclaimed against the Israelites. I saw myself in the sins of the Israelites. The Father’s compassionate heart cried out in mourning to see the sins of His people, however, as a Righteous and Just God, He had to punish them, but all along He desired for them to draw near to Him, that they might be His people, and He might be their God; and that they would glorify Him by their manner of living, and worship Him in truth. 

Jeremiah 12:15-16

“And after I have plucked them up, I will again have compassion on them, and I will bring them again each to his heritage and each to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people.”

Jeremiah 7:5-7

“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another,  if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm,  then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

Jeremiah 7:13-15, 22-24

“And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer,  therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.”

“For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.  But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’  But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24

 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 10:10-16

“But the Lord is the true God;

    he is the living God and the everlasting King.

At his wrath the earth quakes,

    and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

11 Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens. 
 It is he who made the earth by his power,

    who established the world by his wisdom,

    and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,

    and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain,

    and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

Every man is stupid and without knowledge;

    every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,

for his images are false,

    and there is no breath in them.

They are worthless, a work of delusion;

    at the time of their punishment they shall perish.

Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,

    for he is the one who formed all things,

and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;

    the Lord of hosts is his name.”

The God of the Old Testament terrified me, who could stand before Him? 

It struck me that the God of the New Testament seemed very different. But we know from Scripture that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6) In that moment, I was reminded that the wrath that must be displayed by a Holy God, was poured out on Calvary; this wrath has been appeased by the propitiation of His Son - How thankful I am for the sacrifice of Jesus! He bore that wrath that caused me to tremble, so that they Righteousness of God would be satisfied, and His Fatherly compassion could be poured out upon me. Now He is able to perfectly demonstrate His love and grace as He bestows kinship upon each of those whom He calls to be His own. 

    Psalm 73:23-28

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you;

    you hold my right hand.

    You guide me with your counsel,

    and afterward you will receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but you?

    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;

    you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.

But for me it is good to be near God;

    I have made the Lord God my refuge,

    that I may tell of all your works.”

    Ephesians 1:3-10

 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,  which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” 

Oh my soul, you have a glorious inheritance indeed!

The King of the Universe, in His majesty and love, paid the price on my behalf so that He could call me His child. He has called me to serve Him, yes - but He has called me to worship Him!

So my prayer today, is that my heart can learn to stop striving (the price has been paid) and that I will learn instead to worship my God in spirit and in truth, because He is worthy!

Revelation 4:8

"And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”"