SCRIPTURE:
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
Romans 2:5
OBSERVATION:
God’s patience isn’t weakness; it’s mercy. His wrath will be revealed one day. He will destroy what the enemy has built on earth. Sin will not go unpunished. However, in his mercy, God has delayed his judgment. He desires that all come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I have said, “Where are you, God? When will you send your judgment and justice?” His grace gives us a duration of time to repent; there is a time limit. He will pour out his full wrath on those who don’t repent. This is a holy boundary. It does three things: It keeps me from taking things into my own hands. It encourages me towards mercy, prods me away from sin, and allows room for God's judgment.
APPLICATION:
This gives me great peace, because I don’t need to take revenge into my own hands. I can surrender that to the Lord. I can rest in the fact that God sees, is just, and will execute justice. In fact, the Lord will come back one day, and his judgment will be revealed. My job is to leave room for God’s wrath. That is easier said than done, but I can trust that sees the end from the beginning. He is the one true God! Therefore, my primary focus must be to remain in the love of God. One person said it well, “We are all one step away from stupid.” The holy boundary of God’s judgment is grace—it keeps me from the door of stupidity and also helps me surrender. This reality gives me peace and rest, even on the H-1 in rush hour. His righteous judgment will be revealed, and justice will be served. For those who believe in Christ, it is salvation because He paid the price. And for those who fail to repent, it will be destruction. He is good.
PRAYER:
Dear God,
You are the Alpha and Omega. Thank you for assuring those who have been hurt and broken by sin that it will not go unpunished. You see the very heart of man, and you will balance the divine scale with the grace or your revealed wrath. Thank you for being just, merciful, and good. Amen.
