HE RETAINETH NOT HIS ANGER FOR EVER

 

EVENING DEVOTION by James Smith

JULY 3

 

Micah 7:18

Who is like a God unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,

and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?

he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

 
The wrath of God is dreadful, but this is only directed against his obstinate and determined enemies.
 
The anger of the Lord is distressing; this is directed against his people for a time.
 
Each one may say, “Thou wast angry with me.”
 
Let us look at this solemn fact, God had been angry. The cause of his anger is sin. The object with which he is angry is his child.
 
The nature of his anger are various, sometimes it affects our temporal things, it always does our spiritual comfort and joy.
 
The continuance of his anger is transient.
 
His anger endureth but for a moment, in his favour is life.
 
But when God is angry with us, every hour appears a day, and every month a year.
 
But it is cheering to know that he retaineth not his anger for ever.
 
He looks to the atonement-he listens to the cry of the corrected one-love works in his heart-he remembers his covenant-and he proves that he delighteth in mercy.
 
Wrath will burn for ever against impenitent sinners, being fed with the fuel of sin.
 
Anger against a child soon burns out, or is quenched by the water of love.
 

He passes all our follies by,

And all our sins forgives,

His wrath doth in a moment die,

His love for ever lives.

 
James Smith