My husband has never been a fan of your basic cat, but the torture of being married to an avid feline fancier is slowly chipping away at that cat-hating facade. When one of my strays birthed her kittens in our garage, it was all over for my poor hubby. Those soft purrs, affectionate leg rubs, and playful attacks gradually won him over, hook, line, and sinker! Although he desperately clung to the sad remains of his kitty-aloofness, he found himself a stalwart protector of this tiny brood, evidenced by Operation Kitty Rescue. One of our black kittens found herself in a precarious situation, perched atop the highest branch of our maple tree, stranded, unable to muster the courage to brave the descent. A reluctant Super Hero Kitty Daddy, armed with tempting treats, an extension ladder, and a supporting wife on the sidelines, spent the entire evening dangling from tree branches, convincing this teeny feline that he WAS the rescue plan.
Jesus conducted the greatest rescue operation in the history of mankind, saving us from the “wrath of God.” We need not be embarrassed to admit that our loving, merciful God also displays wrath, for His wrath is not equal to our human display of anger. God is love, He is just, and He is good. God’s wrath is a measured, holy response, exposing His uncompromising antagonism toward evil in all of its ugly forms as it intrudes into His perfect creation, provoked by our blatant, willful rebellion of His creations. We are, by nature, all the “children of wrath.” God is so intolerant of evil that we are told in the Book of Romans that this holy God “gave them up to their uncleanness.” The punishment for those who reject Him is the decadence and “vile affections” that their unholy lifestyle produces.
But praise God, there is hope. Between the wrath of God and the sin of man stands an old rugged cross. Divine wrath for the sins of the world was placed on Christ at Calvary as God rained His righteous judgment down upon the sinless Son of Man, and the outpouring of that wrath was the greatest act of love, the greatest rescue mission the world had ever witnessed. “It is finished!” is the victory cry of the “smitten” Lamb of God! God’s wrath was placated once for all. Have YOU placed YOUR faith in that great rescue mission?
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Thank You, Lord, for rescuing me from the wrath of God on February 16, 1975. My life was forever changed that day by simple faith in the Lamb, and His finished work on the cross of Calvary.