Day 341
Hosea 6:1-9:17; 3 John 1-15; Psalm 126:1-6; Proverbs 29:12-14
The Wrath of God Satisfied
Despite first glance at the text today, the major theme of Hosea is not that God would delight in harming His people but that He delights in the redemption of those who follow or who come back to Him through repentance.
The writing today shows that God can become angry… Why? He becomes angry because His heart breaks when His children sin against Him. It is not an anger that waits for us to make a mistake so that He can throw a lightning bolt at us. No, His is a righteous anger that desires so deeply for His chosen ones to come back to Him and follow Him with all their heart, mind, and soul. Anyone who has children has experienced this heart pain when one of your children disobeys you, especially when the disobedience causes harm in their lives. It is painful to watch and can even cause us to experience anger because we can see the wrong they are doing but cannot make them choose the path of righteousness.
It is the anger and wrath of God that Jesus satisfied as He died on the cross. God’s anger and wrath has been satisfied by the only one who could satisfy—His only begotten Son. God no longer looks at me the same because of the work of Jesus Christ that has been applied to me. We have been made perfect through His blood even though we still choose our own way over God’s way at times. God no longer sees us without the lens of Jesus in front of Him. The righteous anger of God is transformed into loving redemption by the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. When God looks at us, He sees His Son.
Take a moment and give praise to God today for the grace and love that has been given to us through His Son Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Wes Sharp
Holy Cross Episcopal Church
Trussville, AL