Bible Reading: Psalm 48; Revelation 6:9-17
“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand” – Revelation 6:17 (KJV).
God is a loving and merciful father, so patient and full of longsuffering. He allows the rain and the sun for the just and the unjust. When you see his love, kindness and mercy you will never imagine that he can be angry. He loves and cares so much that He gave his only begotten son to suffer and die for the sinful man who has rejected Him. However, God is equally angry with sin and its consequences. To show his anger for sin, God turned his back on the son when he became the sin bearer and the ransom for the sin of man. The father allowed Jesus to go through such terrible pains of crucifixion, ridicule and agony and death. That is how much He hates and punishes sin. God’s anger and wrath for sin was lavished on Jesus when he hung on the cross as sin incarnate. That is how angry God can be with sin.
However, we must not because of God’s love, longsuffering and mercy think that God is weak. He seldom shows his other side because of his longsuffering, not willing that any should perish. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV). The bible described God as displaying two natures. He is the Lion and the lamb, the saviour and the judge, the beginning and the end; the first and the last. When He means to save, He can be so loving, so caring, so merciful and so patient. When man continues to trample on his love and mercy, he can be soon angry to the point of wiping out all creations who have sinned like he did in Sodom and Gomorrah, or Noah’s time. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire” – Hebrew 12:28-29 (KJV).
We are privileged to be living in this time of grace. We can take advantage of His grace, mercy and love to serve Him acceptably and enjoy His love. For those who continue to trample on God’s love, they should know that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hand of the living God.
Prayer: Dear Lord thank you for saving me from the wrath to come.
Rev. Vincent Diolu