Words to Treasure
His anger lasts for only a moment. But his favor lasts for a person’s whole life.
Psalm 30:5
Is that all of it?” His dad scanned the ingredients on the table. “The whole stink bomb kit?”
Leo slumped into a chair. “Are you mad?”
“Mad that you stunk out your Sunday school class for the entire morning? What do you think?”
People get angry, but does God get angry? Yeah, God does get angry, but always for a good reason, never because he’s just being grumpy that day. God is extremely patient with the people he loves; even when they continue to do wrong things. God will always give them chances to do better.
God’s anger is never out of control, because he really doesn’t want to be angry. Sometimes he will do things to get our attention and to teach us what’s right. God is always ready to forgive when we’re ready to listen. Nothing you will ever do will stop God from loving you.
Over and over again, the Israelites disobeyed God. They refused to listen to him. God put up with it for a long, long time. He even sent prophets to talk to his people. They didn’t listen. But God didn’t destroy them or desert them. He just sent them for a much-needed time-out with the not-so-nice Babylonians. God was patient and fair. He loved his people and was slow to anger. In the end he brought them home again and all was forgiven. (See Nehemiah 9:29 – 31.)