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“For 40 years I was angry…”
That is God talking in Psalm 95 about His attitude toward His people, Israel: “They are a
people whose hearts go astray.”
Not only did God’s anger last for four decades, it never really ended; the people He was
mad at just finally died in the desert—unrepentant. Psalm 95 ends with this statement: “I
declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
The finality of God’s judgment is not something we like to ponder. But Lent is a 40 day
period where we try to be especially open to God’s rousing us from our wishful thinking, so
that the Holy Spirit can help us see why God might be angry with us, and then let God’s
Holy Spirit change us so we are living lives more pleasing to Him. God does this only for our
good, for “we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.”
Yet this concept of conforming our lives to what pleases “the Lord, our Maker,” is a radical
departure from the age-old lie that we are free to live in whatever ways we are comfortable
with. That self-deception was prevalent in ancient Israel, and has remained popular among
God’s people in the New Testament era. In the Letter to the Hebrews, the author compares
God’s anger toward ancient Israel with how God feels about disobedience in the new Israel—
the Church: “How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished
who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has regarded as an unholy thing the
blood of the Covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”
(Hebrews 10:29).
It is clear that God does not take our lust, greed, anger, pride, sloth, gluttony and envy less
seriously now that Jesus has died for us—God takes it even more seriously! God is eager
to forgive our sins and help us become what He longs for us to be, but if anyone mistakes
God’s grace for the pseudo-freedom of living however we please: “they are crucifying the
Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace.” (Hebrews 6:6)
The joyful alternative is to live lives of childlike obedience as we “sing for joy to the Lord…
shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation, come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him
with song!”
TODD LAKE
Vice President for Spiritual Development
That is God talking in Psalm 95 about His attitude toward His people, Israel: “They are a
people whose hearts go astray.”
Not only did God’s anger last for four decades, it never really ended; the people He was
mad at just finally died in the desert—unrepentant. Psalm 95 ends with this statement: “I
declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
The finality of God’s judgment is not something we like to ponder. But Lent is a 40 day
period where we try to be especially open to God’s rousing us from our wishful thinking, so
that the Holy Spirit can help us see why God might be angry with us, and then let God’s
Holy Spirit change us so we are living lives more pleasing to Him. God does this only for our
good, for “we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.”
Yet this concept of conforming our lives to what pleases “the Lord, our Maker,” is a radical
departure from the age-old lie that we are free to live in whatever ways we are comfortable
with. That self-deception was prevalent in ancient Israel, and has remained popular among
God’s people in the New Testament era. In the Letter to the Hebrews, the author compares
God’s anger toward ancient Israel with how God feels about disobedience in the new Israel—
the Church: “How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished
who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has regarded as an unholy thing the
blood of the Covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”
(Hebrews 10:29).
It is clear that God does not take our lust, greed, anger, pride, sloth, gluttony and envy less
seriously now that Jesus has died for us—God takes it even more seriously! God is eager
to forgive our sins and help us become what He longs for us to be, but if anyone mistakes
God’s grace for the pseudo-freedom of living however we please: “they are crucifying the
Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace.” (Hebrews 6:6)
The joyful alternative is to live lives of childlike obedience as we “sing for joy to the Lord…
shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation, come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him
with song!”
TODD LAKE
Vice President for Spiritual Development
Scripture
About this Plan
Through an intentional partnership between the Office of University Ministries and the College of Theology & Christian Ministry, this Lenten devotional guide has been created for our community. Our prayer is that the words found here will nourish and challenge you as you journey with Jesus to the cross during this Lenten season.
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We would like to thank the students and staff of Belmont University for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.BELMONT.edu
