I was asked just the other day if I had ever seen how God relates to people in ways other than those involving gentle nudging. I could not wait to share just how many times God had related to me with something not unlike a velvet-covered hammer! To not know that God is to not know God at all! God gets very serious with his followers.

Yes, it is true that God is the God of love. And yes, God is the gentle Shepherd to his lambs. Yes, God is the Good Teacher, the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty King and Lord. Yes, he’s everywhere, all knowing, and all powerful. Yes, he is God! I love him, I serve him, I trust him, I follow him, and I know him! He is Truth, Light and Love. YES!

The prophet speaks of this God in Jeremiah 10.10: But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. This God is GOD—no question about it. Scripture speaks of God laughing at his enemies, but he also has a temper. Jeremiah continues: When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. Do not imagine you won’t see an angry side to this God you serve.

Some would say this is a side of God’s character which manifests a rational behavior therapy—wherein he gets our attention with a slap in the face. Does it hurt? You bet! But it’s always effective! He has every fiber of my being on tiptoe every time it happens. I need to understand that God is willing to shock me into a reality of him as GOD! He will allow nothing to stand between me and who he is! I KNOW MY GOD!