He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. (Psalm 103:9-10)
There are many people in this world who hold to the misguided notion that the God of Heaven is continually angry and retributive. They consider the famine, disease and suffering they see in the world to be evidence of a harsh, cruel and intolerant deity who is always quick to pull the trigger on judgement. As we know, nothing could be further from the truth because, for starters, disease and death is the result of our sin. Furthermore, because He knew we would choose the path of destruction, our Heavenly Father made a way for all who were condemned by sin to be restored to a life of hope, gain and eternal happiness. Obviously, He takes no delight in our suffering but wants what is best for us.
Of course, this is not to say that the Almighty never gets angry with us — we know that He does. And when He does, it is not good to be found on the opposing side of His purpose. But as David reminds us, our God is not short tempered; He is very slow to anger and very quick to forgive. Think about the egregious and blatant rebellion present in this world; if He were as harsh and as judgmental as some make Him out to be, do we really think that He would continue allowing wicked people to breathe His air? Be honest with yourself: how many times have you wondered why He does allow these people to continue? Put simply, it is because it takes a long time for His anger to boil over, thus allowing the offender to repent before it is too late.
The truth of the matter is the God of Heaven is far more merciful than He is judgmental. The attributes that define Him — merciful, long suffering, compassionate, gracious, and forgiving, just to name a few— exceed by far those that describe Him when He is compelled to administer justice and punishment. That is why David said, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.” If He were to judge by strict justice, there would be no mankind; but because He is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, He bestows mercy on us all. So when we see famine, disease and other kinds of human suffering, remember that we are witnessing the result of our own choices. God’s will for us is life, blessing, prosperity and peace — things that can only be found in His Presence.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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