Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.
We fear the idea of anger these days, as if it's always something wrong, hurtful and unacceptable. And certainly it has been abused. There is an anger that has no place in society. The same could be said about drugs. There are certain drugs that are wrong, hurtful and unnecessary, and it must be stopped, but that doesn't mean we eliminate drugs altogether. Drugs aren't the problem. It's the misuse of drugs that is the problem. The same with anger. Expressed for the right reasons, at the right times, and by the right person, anger can have a strong, positive, healthy affect. But this isn't an out of control, self-centered, lashing out at the world around us, kind of anger. This is anger with reason, responsibility and love. As a child, the direction and demonstration of my spirit was often halted because I knew my parents were angry with me. Dad never spanked me with a soft, loving smile on his face. When there was cause for this kind of discipline, I feared it. It protected me from my own stupidity, senselessness and, often, sinfulness. Of my parents, I could truly say "Their anger was but for a moment, their favor for a lifetime. Weeping lasted for awhile, but joy followed quickly." Thank God for His anger. It is an anger that reacts against anything that violates us as His children. This anger is the full emotion of God for us. When it's done, He pulls us to Himself. King David had known these moments; few, but severe enough to turn him back to the great love of God. He knew what he was talking about when he said, "Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning." Isn't that wonderful!?
A word to the wise... God's anger isn't something anyone of us want to endure for long. Tilted against willful, stubborn, determined evil... Well, none of us want to go there. And no one need go there. He has made a way of escape. It's called the cross; and the way of the cross leads home! Joy!
We fear the idea of anger these days, as if it's always something wrong, hurtful and unacceptable. And certainly it has been abused. There is an anger that has no place in society. The same could be said about drugs. There are certain drugs that are wrong, hurtful and unnecessary, and it must be stopped, but that doesn't mean we eliminate drugs altogether. Drugs aren't the problem. It's the misuse of drugs that is the problem. The same with anger. Expressed for the right reasons, at the right times, and by the right person, anger can have a strong, positive, healthy affect. But this isn't an out of control, self-centered, lashing out at the world around us, kind of anger. This is anger with reason, responsibility and love. As a child, the direction and demonstration of my spirit was often halted because I knew my parents were angry with me. Dad never spanked me with a soft, loving smile on his face. When there was cause for this kind of discipline, I feared it. It protected me from my own stupidity, senselessness and, often, sinfulness. Of my parents, I could truly say "Their anger was but for a moment, their favor for a lifetime. Weeping lasted for awhile, but joy followed quickly." Thank God for His anger. It is an anger that reacts against anything that violates us as His children. This anger is the full emotion of God for us. When it's done, He pulls us to Himself. King David had known these moments; few, but severe enough to turn him back to the great love of God. He knew what he was talking about when he said, "Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning." Isn't that wonderful!?
A word to the wise... God's anger isn't something anyone of us want to endure for long. Tilted against willful, stubborn, determined evil... Well, none of us want to go there. And no one need go there. He has made a way of escape. It's called the cross; and the way of the cross leads home! Joy!
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