May 21

   
Psalm 95, 97-99
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. When we can witness His wrath, we can properly appreciate His grace. These psalms sing praises to God for His unfailing mercy and love, while reminding us of His judgment. They remind me of the sermon I heard this last Sunday. It was a hard one to hear, because the speaker was reminding us of something we don't really like to think about, God's wrath and hell. He presented a view of the flood that many of us don't consider. We think about deliverance and all things being made new. However, thinking about the carnage is difficult. There were untold millions of people who died a horrible death! The world has not seen destruction at this level either before or since the flood. As much as we love to think about God's love and grace, there is another side of God. He is also a God of wrath, and He has the power to execute that wrath on a massive scale. Just as the flood of Genesis was a real demonstration of that wrath and power, so is hell. We have many who soft-pedal the concept of hell and Satan. We do so at our own peril. We need to understand who we're dealing with. Comprehending God's wrath only makes His grace that much sweeter! When we understand that we deserve no less than what those who were destroyed in the flood, but that God chose to provide a way of escape, His praises should be on our lips and in our hearts!