The song, "Miracles" about a man's little daughter with a brain tumor has the line, "Daddy make it go away.” That has to be the most heart wrenching line I have ever heard.
– Do you think I could feel any less? –
no. I guess not. Its just that the line seems/sounds so hopeless. I'm confused. I don't understand. Its poignancy lay in the father's powerlessness, while You are powerful..
– There are things you don't understand. –
I know... I also get confused as to how Your compassion and anger blend, fit together and somehow do not negate each other...
– Think: yourself. How is it for you? –
yes, I see, a little. Both anger and compassion have theirs roots in passion – a passionate and driven love and a passionate yearning for truth to be seen and for righteousness to prevail. Part of it is passion for righteousness.
What was it You said? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled. . . . Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 5)
So – it's almost there, almost on the edge of my consciousness. I almost get it.
But when I get really, really angry,
I feel destructive.
– What if it is someone you love? –
no. not really.
– When it is someone you are very close to? –
I needed to see that, didn't I?
1) If I do feel hateful, it is temporary and probably due to a) sin (mine) not under control, b) hormones, c) low blood sugar, d) major stress overload, e) some sort of desperate fear, etc.
2) I needed to be able to separate Your anger from Your hate.
That's what You are telling me, isn't it? That on some level I am confusing anger with hate, especially when it comes to You.
You do get angry with us.
We get angry at our children, too. But that is not the same as hate.
We get angry at each other, and may even say so. But as long as we are filled with Your love and desire to walk in Your Spirit, the anger will only be a temporary thing.
Scripture says that Your anger lasts but for a moment, but Your love endures forever. Thank You.
Be it so, Lord. I do not want to do/say the things or harbor the thoughts that anger You -- even that temporary breech in relationship gives me a sick feeling.
(Col. 3
)"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature... Now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these:
anger / rage / malice / slander / from your lips... /
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, cloth yourselves with:
compassion / kindness / gentleness / and patience.
Bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace."
1Thess. 5:8 "But since we belong to the day, let us be self controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath... Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up."
Habb. 3:2 - a prayer: "... in wrath, remember mercy, O Lord."
(This is a good thing for us to remember to do, also!)
Habb 2:12 "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed... The Lord Almighty determined that the people's labor is only fuel for the fire"
Hmmm... City can = building ourselves a place of honor and esteem from others, a place of power from which to operate, and a place for us to "dwell".
Bloodshed in this era, can = murdering the reputations of others.
"Fuel for the fire" = when we do this thing, it will turn around at some point and burn us!
verse 16 - "Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed!... Disgrace will cover your glory."
It sounds so awful, but taken in context, this means that the Lord merely turns back onto us what we've done to others.