Today's Scripture Reading (August 22, 2026): Jeremiah 25
What was it that made your
parents get angry when you were a kid? I think, as kids, we always thought our
parents were tyrants who always had to get their own way—but growing up a
little changes that. At some point, we recognize that Mom and Dad only wanted
what was best for us. What angered them most were those moments when we seemed
to want to either waste our lives or put ourselves in danger. At the time, we
just didn't see what our parents saw. But they did see it; then they warned us,
and when we didn't listen, it often made them angry.
So, what is it that makes God
angry? Jesus taught his followers that it was okay to call God Father. In fact,
Jesus really taught us to call him Dad. That is the relationship that the
creator of this world wants to have with his creation. He invites us into that
relationship, and he loves us like a parent. Which means that his anger, like
any good parent, is most likely caused by our waste of the gift of life that he
has given to us.
That is the message that Jeremiah
had for Israel. He needed to communicate to Israel that the only reason Dad was
angry was that Israel insisted on bringing harm onto themselves. So, God, who
had sent Jeremiah as his Prophet to help Israel, decides to change his game
plan.
Just like a parent, God wants
what is best for us. His instructions are intended to lead us to success in our
lives. And just like a parent, he sees things that we don't see. God's desire
is not a jealous rage of a God who doesn't understand. It is the loving
instructions of a dad who wants the very best for those he has created.
I know we get that with our heads,
but we sometimes miss it with our hearts. In the midst of trials, we need to understand
with the core of our beings a God who loves us and is intent on bringing us
through the trials of life.
Tomorrow's
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 26
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