Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous. [Proverbs 27.4]
Before today I have always thought of this verse in human terms. Today however, I see God in this statement. Having recently read through Jeremiah and now reading Ezekiel, I very much see God as the one this verse in Proverbs could be referring to. We have seen how cruel God's anger is, how utterly consuming His wrath is, and how His jealousy of idols makes Him quite literally dangerous - and yet we still don't fear Him.
The thing is, God is indeed patient - but how far does that patience go? At what point does God's patience snap? At what point does our lustful pursuit of self-fulfillment trigger His all-out rage? If we know anything from God's Word, we know God puts up with a LOT of stuff from us - but there is a limit.
Refusing to take the message of Jesus seriously and as top priority over all things is a risk I see most people are willing to make. There is an evil side of me that says they'll get what they deserve (which is true - but then, am I in that group?). But there is also God's loving Spirit in me that says I must continually and faithfully plead with myself and others to acknowledge Jesus' lordship by pursing God's living Word (the message of Jesus) as a matter of highest priority.
My point is this: if God was so patient and yet so outrageous in punishment regarding His offering of the Law, how much more patient, and then, how much more furious will His punishment be regarding His offering of Jesus?
Father, forgive me for taking Your Word less than absolutely and positively serious. Forgive me for thinking my pitiful acknowledgement of Jesus comes anywhere near true worship and devotion. Open my understanding more and more to the fact that the strength and effectiveness of my faith (including saving faith) is DIRECTLY proportionate to my acceptance and consumption of Your Word.
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