God gets angry when His people are led
astray, following false gods and engaging in sin. Don’t you get mad when you
read the papers and see children abused or the innocent killed? Why can’t we
allow God to have that same emotion against injustice and sin?
God is passionate about us and cares for
us. We want him to be sweet and smiley like Mr. Rogers all the time. That’s
just not the case. He is engaged in our lives, watching our every move and
concerned when we slip away. The alternative to anger is passé. Do we want a
God who is ho-hum about His people?
Is God angry ALL the time? Certainly there
is a lot of sin in this world and a lot to get angry about, but God is not
controlled by His anger, allowing it to take over His perspective. Anger is a
powerful emotion that dominates many people’s feeling. God balances His anger
with a passionate love, for his anger comes from love and a concern for us.
Our anger is different and should not be
confused with God’s anger. Our anger comes from frustration and a lack of
control. God firmly controls the world, so there is no need for Him to fly off
the handle. It’s not a control issue for Him.
Plus, He has made himself so clear to us,
as this verse states, that the primary target for His anger are those forces
that deceive His people.