On the Flip SideSample

Could you imagine what it'd be like if someone showed up at your birthday party and claimed all your gifts? First of all, it's not even their birthday! What should you do? What do you think you would do? Well, you have a couple of options . . . you could shrug your shoulders like it's nothing, and that would show that the gift really didn't mean that much to you. Or you could rage out and become violent, which is also probably not the best response.

This is the picture some people get of God, particularly in the Old Testament. But there is another way to understand God's justice throughout the Bible. Today's passage tells us that while slow to anger, God will not destroy the guilty but show love to thousands. Ultimately, God's justice is an expression of love for humanity and all of creation — what we love, we protect. In the same way that you'd at least try to stop someone from destroying your new birthday gifts, God brings justice when harm is done.

How have you thought about justice and the love of God? Has your perspective changed after today's passage?