Across the Bridge
  • Mission
  • Blog
  • DONATE
  • NEWS
  • Ministry Plans
  • Partners
  • Current Meetings
  • About
  • Mission
  • Blog
  • DONATE
  • NEWS
  • Ministry Plans
  • Partners
  • Current Meetings
  • About

ATB blog

The Angry God

5/28/2015

0 Comments

 
Then you will say on that day, "I will give thanks to You, Oh Lord;
For although you were angry with me, your anger is turned away,
And you comfort me.

Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid;
For the Lord God is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation." 

Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.

                               Isaiah 12:1-3

Memories of my mother being angry with me and a short time later explaining what I could do better, as well as being as sweet as she always was, came to mind as I read this passage. I was so fortunate that as a young boy she gave me a picture of God as merciful and loving, forgiving, and encouraging as opposed to the Angry God many were exposed to from their homes and in church. 

Of course reading most of the Old Testament can also cause us to get a picture of God as often being angry because we humans behave so badly even when we have been extended a multitude of grace and forgiveness. In that time there was no Messiah to "turn away" that anger, no Messiah to provide "salvation", and nothing to "draw water from the spring of salvation". Only a knowledge of God passed from generation to generation with very little written word to go back and refer to.

Imagine waking up tomorrow without a Bible to read, no devotional to direct our thoughts, only the last conversation we had with one of our elders that spoke of who God was and how he interacted with the human race. What a bummer and how easily misled our idea of God could be.
And without the knowledge that the prophecy of Isaiah 11 would be fulfilled (the coming of a Messiah), we may not see where we could draw that water of salvation from.

Fortunately, the idea of an Angry God can be easily dispelled by what is written and what the Holy Spirit plants in our hearts when we receive salvation. Addicts who used to bury their feelings of unworthiness, can now be thankful that God's anger has been turned aside by Jesus coming and that redemption is close at hand if they just reach out for it.

God is not angry with you, no matter who you are and what you have done. That has been resolved and reconciled. What remains is your decision to stop being angry with yourself, start loving the person you could become, and trusting, not being afraid for the Lord God is your strength and song. 

From what I know, he never sings out of tune!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Glenn Yankowski

    Glenn is an ex-Marine Viet Nam vet who is also a recovering alcoholic, clean and sober for 30 years. He has been involved in start up and ongoing recovery ministry at North Atlanta Church and Campus for the last two decades. He has a passion for outreach and to spread the message that the answer to lasting and fulfilling recovery from addiction is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He and the ATB team are available to assist in your questions or needs on an individual basis and will do so maintaining complete confidentiality. You may e-mail him at sgtski@bellsouth.net.

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly