And Not Easily Angered

Growing up, I remember being scared of my dad a lot. As children, we were initially quite adventurous and daring, and prone to ‘foolishness’, so the ‘rod of correction’ was the instrument of choice to make us wise. My dad used to get very angry when we stepped out of line, but my mum is more of a soft person. She wasn’t tolerant of misbehavior, but we never considered her to be an angry person. Now this is quite a common situation, at least it was common at the time to have at least one angry parent. The children would be playing all over the house and enjoying what they saw as fun, but at the sight or sound of a particular parent (or both, in some cases) they would all scamper away like rabbits in the presence of hounds.

This is not a good picture, but even worse it’s one we have come to associate with God. We read how He drove the first humans out of His lovely garden with curses following hard after them and all their offspring ever, and how He frustrated the first and probably only ever united effort of all humanity.  We also read how two cities and their residents were reduced to piles of ash because of their sexual orientation among other things, and how He destroyed nations on account of His choice people, then we label Him as wicked, or angry at the very least. But if you stand back and take a long look through time you will see the never ending theme of love and patience He has painted since before time began.

If God was indeed as angry or vengeful as we have been led to believe, we would all be dead. Look at the way the world is today, just look at what’s trending on twitter and ask yourself why we are all still here.

God doesn’t tolerate wickedness, but He’s not in a hurry to kill anyone. He gains nothing by taking the life of a sinful man¹. In fact keeping him alive offers him the opportunity to change and be a better person.

More so, it’s explicitly stated, GOD is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, He's rich in love.²

Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking that God is like your dad, or mum as the case may be. We are all imperfect humans trying to conform to the life of a good God. Humans make mistakes, but God doesn’t.

Sin will definitely make you want to run and hide from Him, but you’re of no use to yourself or God when you hide. It’s when you approach Him in brokenness and contrition that you can be set right on your feet, to enjoy friendship with such a loving Father.

Always remember that God is good, no matter who isn’t.

¹ Eze 33:11

² Ps 103:8

³ Ps 34:18, 1Jn 1:9