Choose Love in all circumstances toward all people

​“A jealous and avenging God is the Lord; The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet.”

‭‭Nahum‬ ‭1:2-3‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/nam.1.2-3.NASB1995

This is a topic that is not discussed too often in most churches across America. God has to punish sin. God has to punish disobedience. 

“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20:4-6‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/exo.20.4-6.NASB1995

God is Jealous. He must be the one who is worshiped. He will not share His place on the throne with any other god that we make. He is the only true God. 

When I think of jealousy two images come to mind; a child who wants a toy that someone else has and a relationship that has been cheated on. I don’t think God is the kid kind of jealous that throws a fit about a toy, but rather He is the relationship that has been cheated on. Nobody blames The one who was cheated upon for being jealous. As so we could understand why God would be jealous. He is the one who made everything including the medium in which we make our idols.

“But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭44:17‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/isa.44.17.NASB1995

God may be jealous but in His jealousy, He leaves room for His grace. But also in His jealousy, he makes sure that those who will not turn from their disobedience get punished. 

“The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies.”

For most of the world, we will never experience the vengeance and wrath of God. For we may have been duped by Satin in ignorance and God will bring a revelation to us that we need Him by the Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus. But there are a select few that have jumped in with both feet to not serve God but the Devil. On them rests the vengeance and wrath of God. And to this day we see God showing mercy to them because He desires, even them, to repent and experience His grace and Love. 

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/2pe.3.9.NASB1995

God’s eternal wrath was never really intended for people, but only for the Devil and His angels. But through disobedience and unrepentance, we may find ourselves there. 

“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:41‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.25.41.NASB1995

But for those who will humble themselves and serve God, he has this to say:

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:34‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.25.34.NASB1995

Are we blessed by God or are we accursed by God? How will we know?

“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:35-36‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.25.35-36.NASB1995

“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25:40‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.25.40.NASB1995

It is all wrapped up in our love for the people around us. Do you love your fellow man or desire to see him fail and die? Choose Love in all circumstances toward all people and there you will find God’s love and grace. If not then you will find yourself at the end of God’s vengeance and wrath.