God’s Great Love for His Children & Rage at Those Who Hurt Them

The day my mother was buried was a horrible day.  I felt like my sanity was hanging by a thread.  In addition to dealing with her death, I was shocked learning I had to deal with all the details of her death, her estate & the cemetery’s mistake that meant they had to exhume then rebury my father before she could be buried. 

The day was made even worse by one of my awful cousins who came to scream at me as my mother was being buried.  Thankfully her poor husband dragged her away because due to my precarious mental state at that moment, I was getting very close to punching her.

In the midst of all of the chaos, God’s presence kept me sane & from doing anything I would regret.  I felt Him close to me that entire day, even while my cousin was screaming.  Interestingly though, as I left the cemetery that day, I felt not only God’s presence supporting me, but also His rage that was directed at my cousin.  I never experienced anything like that before & it was terrifying!

While God’s love for His children is great, His rage at those who hurt them is just as powerful.  1 Chronicles 16:22 says, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”  Additionally, Proverbs 3:30 warns, “Do not quarrel with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.”  He is very protective over His own.  Psalm 121:7-8 say, “The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your life.  ⁸ The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in [everything that you do] From this time forth and forever.”  Also, Deuteronomy 32:35 says, “‘Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their disaster is at hand, And their doom hurries to meet them.’”  God will not let injustice go unpunished.  He will avenge His children.

In Hebrews 10:31, it says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”  This is what came to mind when I felt God’s rage aimed at my cousin that day.  It scared me for her, so I did ask God to forgive her.  No matter what I think of her, God’s wrath isn’t something I would wish on her or anyone.  I have no idea what has happened in her life since that day.  I sincerely hope God forgave her & found a gentler way to teach her not to treat people like she did me.

This event showed me that those who hurt God’s children will not avoid His judgment & wrath.  Revelation 20:12-15 even describes the judgment of the dead, where anyone whose name is not found in the Book Of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire.  This is a terrifying fate!

However, God’s rage is not without mercy.  In 2 Peter 3:9, it says, ” The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”  God desires for all to come to repentance & be saved from His judgment.

God’s great love for His children & His rage at those who hurt them are both powerful & just.  We can take comfort in knowing that God loves us unconditionally & will avenge us when we are wronged.  We also must be mindful of our actions towards others, knowing that God takes injustice seriously.  We should strive to love others as God loves us & seek His forgiveness when we fall short.