A certain ferocious love...

Jeremiah 33:7

I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action so that they will always fear me, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will never stop doing good to them and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.

I read this passage of scripture this morning, and was encouraged. I am learning that my God is not the pansy I was introduced to in Sunday School. And, I think, I like him better that way.

There is this passage in C.S. Lewis' The Lion the Witch in the Wardrobe that I love. In this scene the children have just recently entered Narnia through the wardrobe and are learning about the great lion, ASLAN (a Christ-figure). They are unsure and intimidated. One of the children asks Beaver (their guide), "Is he quite safe?"

"Safe?", Beaver laughs. No Aslan is not safe. "But he is good."

My God is a lion, untamed and ferocious. He is a jealous God and a mighty warrior. He demands unswerving loyalty, and perfection. He spoke the world into existence. And declares, "I am God and there is no other."

Don't mess with him.

He's been known to banish nations and enslave them. He's wiped out entire peoples with a flood. He's given the order to take no prisoners.

Ruthless. Savage. Ferocious.

And yet....

He is good. According to Jeremiah God says, "I will rejoice in doing them good." As a parent, I understand that. There is nothing so fun as pouring out love on my children. I love to shower my kids with gifts, or special surprises. I feel almost giddy watching them delight in my love.

Imagine that. God: Ferocious Warrior....with the heart of a father.

Today is Good Friday. It's the day we celebrate the ferocious love of God. God: who demanded perfection and sacrificed everything on behalf of his rebellious children. God: who ruthlessly declared war on all the broken in the world.

"To the Death..."

My God is no pansy. He does not wink at sin or turn a blind eye idolatry. No. He engages it. Destroys it. In a crazy reckless act of ferocious love.