A God of Love

I have been reading in Isaiah lately and today one verse really caught my eye.  "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises up to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him."  Isaiah 30:18.  I have heard people say that God is mean and cruel.  They wonder how the world can be in the shape it's in if God is a God of love.  That really hurts me to hear because God is a God of love.  It says right there in the Bible that God longs, not just wants but longs, to be gracious.  Yes, God is a just God.  When we do something wrong we must confess that and suffer the consequences but then He forgives and forgets.  

Think about your children.  When they do something wrong you are hurt by their choice and their disobedience.  You correct them and they have to suffer the consequences.  But you never stop loving and caring for them just because they did something wrong.  Even if our child does not willingly admit their mistake or even apologize, we still love them. 

It is true, there are bad things going on in this world and innocent people get hurt.  But that is not God's doing.  We live in a fallen world where people have the freedom to make their own choices.  Unfortunately people do not always make the right choices.  But that does not mean that God does not love us.  We mess up, admit we are wrong and ask forgiveness, then God forgives us and forgets our sin.  He is a good God.  He is not sitting up there in Heaven hoping we mess up just so He can punish us!  That is not God at all!  John 3:16 tells us, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  God is so good and loving that He even gave His Son's life for us.  And Jesus willingly died for us!

We serve and loving, gracious and good God.  Praise God for His goodness!