Why God's Love Is SO Scandalous!

This is one of those mornings, the blinking cursor on my screen, flashes in accusation, attempting to say, "You've got nothing..." (I think I hear no small amount of mocking, as well...)

The problem, however, isn't "nothing," but too much on my mind, as I try to process the teachings on which I've been reflecting over the past week.

So, I'll begin at the beginning (a very good place to start)...

I took my own advice from last week's blog-post, and spent some time standing in the shadow of the cross of Jesus, sincerely exploring the secret recesses of my soul. 

What I see there is not pretty - a messy variety & measures of: pride, a critical spirit, a perverted love (not the HESED variety), self-centeredness, impatience, bitterness, and unbelief, all top my list (this is an uncomfortable, but healthy exercise, by the way).

As I reflected, it didn't escape me that the cross truly is (past, present and future) my salvation, along with one more very significant truth:

Oh, how patient is the love of my Lord towards His children!

Not surprisingly, as I started to dig into the next set of Scriptures on my to-study-list, I began to recognize the same over-arching theme. 

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands... Exodus 34:6-7

The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forging iniquity and transgression... Numbers 14:18

But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness... Psalm 86:15

The Lord is slow to anger, great in power... Nahum 1:3

Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love... Joel 2:13

Sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments are verses like these above...as I said, an "overarching theme."

My God's ABUNDANT (RICH) HESED/LOVE is acted out as being, 1) merciful, 2) gracious, 3) faithful, and 4) slow to anger!

SLOW! to! ANGER!  

(Long-suffering. Patient. Forbearing.) 

Those three little words (slow to anger) took my breath away this past week; certainly, He is all that and more towards me. 

I'm reminded of these words in Laura Story's song: Grace 

I ask you how many times will you pick me up / when I keep on letting you down? / And each time I fall short of your glory / how long will forgiveness abound? / And you answer, "My child, I love you / And as long as your seeking my face / you'll walk in the power of my daily sufficient grace!"

Who am I that I should escape the wrath of God for my perpetually sinful heart?

I am nothing! No-one!

In me there is no good, except...

I can point to Jesus - It's His precious blood that covers me; and, I am filled with gratitude beyond measure that GOD, the HOLY OF HOLIES,  has not judged me unworthy and consumed me with fire. 

BUT for JESUS...

BUT for the CROSS!

BUT for the SALVATION I FOUND IN HIM, when I completely handed Him my whole life!

This truth - This reality of the evangelical faith:

GOD'S HESED IS SCANDALOUS!

Why? 

He is slow to anger/patient, not wishing that any should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance!

XXXXXXX

I have to stop here. 

This is enough to reflect on this week as we tie together Lent and the Love of God.

But! This whole concept of God's slow-to-anger-ness raises some BIG QUESTIONS for many:

How can a God who is 1) merciful, 2) gracious, 3) faithful, and 4) slow to anger, turn around and do some of the unfathomably hard stuff we read about, particularly in the Old Testament?

I chatted with one gal recently, who told me, I no longer believe in the God of the Old Testament, because of all the violent acts He performed; but, I do like Jesus. So, I will put my emphasis on Him, and simply read the gospels. 

Let's not shy away from these hard conversations. 

So, next week, we'll take another look at this aspect of 

HESED: SLOW TO ANGER or SOMETHING ELSE?