The Fury of God's Love

 

In light of the fury of God, the mighty and sweeping holiness of God's brilliance, the angry wrath of all that defies truth and righteousness, the intense unwillingness of God to allow anything to remain out of balance, we bow before Him with trembling hearts and knees.

How then, do we see, not in spite of, but through His wrath, His love, grace, forgiveness, mercy?

These are not contrasting counterbalances within the character of God as we have tried to understand them in our limited human perspectives. These are necessary and natural complements to the faithful love of God whose determination to redeem is relentless and fierce.

He is, at the same time, storm and shelter from storm.

God is the complete package of all that is.

God's voice is loud and reverberates with power, shaking the foundations of all that is. God's movements as He intervenes in time and space rattle the fabric of the space-time continuum. God's whispers echo.

All speak of God's love for God is love.

We are not able to survive the fury, and yet, we do. We are not capable of calming the storm of God's presence, and yet, we are made calm. We are not in possession of any ability to appease the wrath of God and yet, we are being made whole and we are passionately sought and sacrificially redeemed.

We have not the slightest idea of the magnitude of grace or its eternal implications. We are given glimpses.

But we know this is serious and that we have but a few days here to make the difference we were made to make - to redeem our own days and influence - to stake our claim on what is eternally significant and abundantly available to us, freely bestowed.

Days are short, but they are insignificant. Our ability to know and experience God and God-Truth is limited, but it is not non-existent. What is provided is enough -- as are the glimpses and hints into God's holiness and love.

" So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!"

(Psalm 90:12-17 ESV)

 Photo Credit:  Michael Hildago