"For I saw no wrath but on man’s part; and that forgiveth He in us. For wrath is not else but a forwardness and a contrariness to peace and love; and either it cometh of failing of might, or of failing of wisdom, or of failing of goodness: which failing is not in God, but is on our part."
Julian of Norwich (Ch. 48)
We may have been taught that God is angry with humans because of their sin. We may have seen God as so angry that He was ready to lash out and destroy or punish humans, till Jesus stepped in and took the brunt of that anger, letting God pummel Him at the cross, and that this act assuaged God's anger, calming Him down so He could tolerate or forgive us. Yet we find out that the ones who had the wrath and anger, the ones prone to lashing out, were humans and not God at all! God has been there before us always, with open arms, yet we have been blinded by confusion and have had contrary feelings. When you are convinced God is against you and angry with you, it can make you feel against God and angry with God. So our dear tender-hearted God became flesh and blood to visibly show us the face of God: not an angry and unfriendly face but an accepting and loving face! Wrath is simply a lacking of peace and love, and so we see that God, visibly revealed by Jesus, is peace and love, is the opposite of wrath. And He completely understood, absorbed, and forgave all the wrath in humanity, all the lack of peace and love ever found in our lives or behaviors. Christ on the cross is God absorbing all the wrath of humanity and dissolving it in His love, for God has only love to give us, never wrath. For He does not conquer evil with punishment or rage; He simply overcomes it with forgiveness and goodness!
"With love I have held out my hands day after day, offering myself to this unbelieving and stubborn people!”
Romans 10:21 (TPT)
"Overcome evil with good."
Romans 12:21 (NIV)
A Prayer: Thank You for never failing to show me love, even in the midst of my wrath.