Many years ago a renowned evangelist, Jonathan Edwards preached one of the single most famous sermons ever preached. It was titled "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" God does get angry. There are many examples of his anger throughout the Bible. My vision of God for many years was that God is the Great Smiter of evil. This often compelled me to move towards Him much as a cowering dog on a leash moves toward its handler, not out of affection, but out of fear of a quick strike from a fist or a boot. Is this the way we live our Christian lives at times? Our fingernails claw at the earth as God tugs us toward Him, filling us with fear that our health, family, and all things we hold dear are possible targets of his anger. This is a debilitating state of being for a Believer, and often leads to man-made rules superimposing themselves over God's laws. It becomes a game of religous have's and have nots. Very few would argue that we should live this way, but many end up in a relationship with God that closely resembles this.
What is God Then?
God is Love. Many Christians reading this were just completely turned off by that statement. It is a statement that has often been hijacked by the world, but that should not lessen its impact for us. God is not a God who draws us near, snaps a collar on our neck and tells us that he will punish us if we tug on the leash. God is not suprised when we we run away. He actually has a plan in place for when this happens. His preemptive plan is to show us how much he loves us, and how awesome true fellowship with him is. God shows us the wonder of his grace and gives us ample warning as to the pitfalls that exist when we meander, or sometimes bolt away from Him. However, He does not sit at home polishing His boots, thinking about how he is going to teach us a lesson when we return. God begins mourning and grieving the loss of fellowship the moment we turn our back on him. This may be a simplification of the concept, but here is the way I think of it. God mourns our state of being when we are lost. He is also out canvassing the neighborhood, putting up LOST signs with our picture on them and offering the REWARD of reconciliation with Him, and rest in his open arms.
How then shall we live?
The question pops into my head- "what's to keep me from running away again if I am not afraid of kicks and punches?" Why do we run away from the loving, guiding hand of the Master and look for scraps when He has a feast prepared for us? God reveals to us the bounty of His nature and the richness of His blessings. In His infinite wisdom He knows that fear undermines all other motives, and to have and share a perfect fellowship with us He inspires us with the promise of a renewed realtionship. A relationship with the most Holy Master is the draw that brings us back into the fold.
Do not cower out of fear when you come back to the Lord. Be overcome by contrition and humility and be overjoyed that he waits for you. He waits for you with tears of sadness in His eyes, but with a look of joy on His face. He calls you back with love, not with condemnation.
