I was raised thinking God is our best friend - our "daddy". He is.
My husband grew up thinking God is to be feared - a loving, but vengeful God. He is.
Two very different ways of thinking about one great God.
I think the story of Noah shows this.
We first read that God's heart was broken because He saw how wicked man had become. This shows a Loving God - how much He wants us to succeed and how much we let Him down by living in sin - this feeling is something a father would feel for his child.
Then we read Gods decision to destroy the entire earth - that's a Scary God....I can't imagine how many people died in the flood and feel bad for the poor animals who died in this flood.
God loves us so much...but we can't take that for granted. He calls us to be righteous people - like Noah. When we follow Him we know He will keep us safe (though He may ask us to do something crazy like building a big boat, or leaving behind a sweet life to serve Him in remote or urban jungle...).
But don't think that just because God is love He'll let things slide- He's got some great things planned for those who follow Him, but for those who don't....it can be scary. This challenges me to work harder to be who God wants me to be. It also reminds me to pray for people I love who don't know Him yet....
Never forget how BIG our God is - He's more than you can ever comprehend...He's more loving and merciful than any person you will ever meet - but at the same time He has the power to wipe out the earth and all that's in it...
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