Is God angry with me?

This feeling of uneasiness and alarm will obtrude on the mind, whether we view the individual as seeking to justify himself at the approaching day of account, or whether we see him as delighting in the manifested wickedness of his heart. In the one case, he feels his wants, but is looking for strength where it cannot be found, and, making no progress, is very uneasy; and in the other, the very thought of a God who hates the things he is doing every hour in the day, is a thought fraught with alarm. Now I suppose there is no person who has heard the gospel preached, who has not, at one time or another, been made thus uneasy, whether he is seeking what he looks upon as a means of justification from himself, or whether he is seeking for what he esteems its own present value, present enjoyment in sin. This leads him to the consideration of one great thing which in some moment of time he experiences: Well, perhaps after all, God may be against me. It is this that makes the sinner alarmed; and he whose conscience is greatly troubled, who feels his weakness, and finds the difficulty by which he is surrounded, his secret feeling is, God is not at peace with me - He is against me. There is the great truth, the great cause of controversy in the conscience, there is no peace. No matter what are his circumstances, they may vary and change, but will make no change in what makes him thus uneasy: for it is the same calm unchanging God he has to meet, and he is conscious that that God is not at peace with him, and he cannot say, I know, come what will, God is for me.

I think it is not an exaggeration to suppose that we ourselves may be sometimes afraid of Him, particularly if we have done Him some slight wrong, if we have abused His grace to us, and if we have failed in our responsibilities to Him. There is then just a little feeling of fear, a distrust, an anxiety lest His heart may be turned away from us, and that when He opens His mouth that sharp sword will smite us. We feel we shall be judged and doomed. He does not, however, come to us in this way. He comes truly as the all-powerful One, but His words are, "Fear not." "You need not fear Me. I am still the One who cares for you. I am still the One who stands by you. I am still the One that will never leave nor forsake you."

I think it is not an exaggeration to suppose that we ourselves may be sometimes afraid of Him, particularly if we have done Him some slight wrong, if we have abused His grace to us, and if we have failed in our responsibilities to Him. There is then just a little feeling of fear, a distrust, an anxiety lest His heart may be turned away from us, and that when He opens His mouth that sharp sword will smite us. We feel we shall be judged and doomed. He does not, however, come to us in this way. He comes truly as the all-powerful One, but His words are, “Fear not.” “You need not fear Me. I am still the One who cares for you. I am still the One who stands by you. I am still the One that will never leave nor forsake you.”

Here then is the point of the argument: it is God Himself in whom we can trust, and that, whatever the present circumstances. "Has the Mighty One (El) forgotten to be gracious? Must any circumstances whatever be allowed to argue infirmity in Him? "Has He shut up (contracted) in anger His compassions?" No, be assured. His very anger is the effect of love itself: cast yourself upon His love, this anger will not harm you; His chastening shall but purify and bless.

Of course a child of God will experience the discipline of his holy Father, which is a proof of relationship. It is “child training” to teach His own to hate and avoid all that is inconsistent with His holiness (Heb. 12:1-11; 1 Peter 1:14-21). The Lord said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten” (Rev. 3:19). “If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned (judged) with the world” (1 Cor. 11:31-32).

It is most important to remember that there is a government of God with respect to His children. It is no question whether they are justified and forgiven; for this government supposes that they are righteous in His right, as to salvation; Job 36. But then the Lord ever keeps His eye upon them, blesses them, and makes them conscious of His favour when they are walking aright in the enjoyment of God. But if we do not walk aright, we are warned, and if we do not take heed to the voice of God, He chastens in order to arouse the soul that is falling asleep and has begun to forget God. And His goodness, His wondrous patience, His love for us, are never weary!

Verses 6-8. It was a family token that they had received, in being made acquainted with the rod of discipline. None were exempt from this but those who wrongfully assumed the filial title. For it is in the nature of a Father to control His children for their good. Because He loves them, He is not indifferent to their ways. Because He regards them as His own, His will must be their guide. Because of the difference between childish inexperience and waywardness, and the ripeness of parental wisdom, an expression of the truest love might often take the form of an unkindness. But if God spoke roughly, He still spoke to them as sons. They were not to faint at His rebuke, as if He were discarding them from favour. Still less should they despise a chastening which God never ministered at random. There were lessons of subjection which could only thus be learned. The things which they endured were accompaniments of their salvation. God scourges every son whom He receives. It was only because, through spiritual indolence, they had dropped to a lower tone of practical communion, that they were embarrassed and discouraged by their present experiences. They had as faulty an estimate of their own requirements, as they had of the grace and wisdom of the God with whom they had to do.

Jehovah chastens those He loves. … The word draws two conclusions from this truth. … It will not be without a cause in me; it will never be without love in God. Hence I am not to despise, for there is a cause in me which makes the holy God of love act so; I am not to faint, for it is His love which does it. It is correcting a son in whom his Father delights.

It is true that the child of God might fail the Lord who bought him, but that is a discipline matter between the Father and His child. The “believer-sheep” is a child of God whom He loves. He deals with His children as sons and daughters, “because the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son” (Heb. 12:6 NIV).

God sees certain tendencies in us, and He disciplines us in order to preserve us from that which would lead us astray. A brother might be preaching the gospel, or teaching saints, and God may pass him through some trial to enable him to carry out His service better. A Christian was taunted by an infidel thus: “There you are, a poor cripple, in pain and disease; here am I with a healthy body and can enjoy life.” The Christian replied, “If ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons” (Heb. 12:8). Somebody is going on well, and God says, “I will help you to go on better.” The Lord prunes the vine that it might bring forth more fruit. God’s house is holy, and He says, “I must have My children in correspondence with Myself.” We are chastened in order that we might be partakers of His holiness.