Many times when suffering of various kinds come way my, do you know what my knee-jerk reaction is? God must hate me… Or worse yet, God must be punishing me for something that I did. Both are untrue and we shouldn’t be so quick to pass such judgment on ourselves.
For one, I do not believe that God is just waiting to bend us over his lap and give us a divine spanking. Sure, God can and does get displeased with us. He wishes that we would all stop being so darn stubborn and turn to Him.
His word tells us that He comes to give us life to the fullest, it takes a lot to truly get God angry. He isn’t like that parent that wigs out on their child because they keep asking them the same question or repeated questions.
And on the subject of God punishing us, yes, there will be a day where God does punish those who still hold to their own. But just because suffering is in your life presently, does not mean that God is punishing you. Rather, He could very well be trying to get your attention.
All through scripture people that came face to face with the mad love of God, did so through suffering. In no way am I saying that we should seek a life of hardship. But we should expect it. And know that Christ overcame it, and unlike other eastern religions, we don’t have to detach from it.
Rather, we can in some ways rest in it and even use it as means to be of comfort, to those who are suffering as well. So before we are so quick to jump to a conclusion regarding the Lords anger and punishment. Let us first examine the state of our own hearts and who HE really is.
brandonleeryan 