“We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” (Psalm 90:7-8)
I had friends as a kid who would go a little cold when their moms’ said, “Your dad is going to give you a spanking when he gets home from work.” They had done something so wrong that a “mom spanking” would not be enough of a punishment. They had a dad spanking coming, and they knew it.
The result? The rest of their day was ruined, spent in dread of the wrath of dad to be administered when he got home from work, tired, hungry, and cranky. Even if they were allowed to keep playing, they were “consumed” by the prospect of their punishment.
Magnify that a billion times and it’s exactly what Moses describes here. How can you possibly enjoy the few short, difficult years of this life knowing that God is angry about your sins (even the secret ones) – and that your punishment is coming?
What would we do without Jesus? “Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)
Think: How often do you think about God’s anger toward sin? Do you think God has a right to be angry about sin and to punish people for it? Why doesn’t he punish Christians for our sin?
Pray: Thank God that through your faith in Christ your sins are forgiven and you are no longer an “object of wrath.”
Do: Read Ephesians 2:1-10 all the way through to be reminded how God’s grace works in our lives.