My daughter, Olivia, loves to sing. Whether she’s in the car on her way to school, or in her room doing homework, there’s a good chance she will be singing some kind of tune. It’s her passion in life, and quite frankly, an effortless expression of her love for Jesus.
It was in 2019 that my wife and I noticed she wasn’t singing. No longer was she belting out the songs we’d become so accustomed to hearing. Not only that, she just didn’t seem like herself. So, my wife did what any caring mother would do—she immediately entered the situation.
After some mother-daughter conversation, Misty discovered that she was being tormented with the thought of eternal separation (hell). The enemy had created such an illusion of “I’m not good enough” in her mind, that she feared being separated from God. For this, she could no longer find the motivation to do what she loved most. She’d lost her song.
However, during this season I would come to see and understand how true judgment and wrath, in the purest sense, are actually expressions of love. Furthermore, I would witness what the judgment and wrath of God looks like when lived out; and I would learn it through the actions of my wife.
You see, once my wife learned of what was swarming around in Olivia’s internal world, I witnessed a love that, in the words of Solomon, is “as strong as death.” I experienced what it looks like when a caring, compassionate, ever-present parent judges a situation, rises up, and says “NO” to the lie of separation.
It’s almost like Misty was saying, “I’m breaking this lie. I will not allow my daughter to fall prey to this tormenting mindset!”
And let me tell you, it was transformative. After a few days of prayer and bombarding this lie with the truth of her value and worth, our daughter was set free from the lie of separation.
And, guess what: Olivia got her song back!
You see, when Misty learned of this lie, she responded in the love that she has for her. As such, she set her face to destroy whatever waged war on our daughters’ identity. She knew our daughter was made for so much more. It wasn’t that she had to abandon the “good side” of love in order to switch over to the “bad side” of wrath; or that she needed to scold Olivia for thinking such things. That would’ve only exacerbated the issue. Instead, with a passion to see our child restored to the one we knew her to be, she entered the situation to judge it with furious love.
In a sense, she was saying, “Over my dead body will my daughter come under the power of these tormenting thoughts.”
Friends, this is what it looks like when the Father sees his children entertaining any mindset that does not agree with the truth of who we are.
This is what it looks like when our God judges a situation, enters into it, and releases the wrath of his fiery, all-consuming love.
Just as my wife was aiming her judgment and wrath in the direction of restoration (not retribution), so Abba is directing his in like manner.
God is always after restoration.
Therefore, we say “true and righteous are Your judgments.” (Revelation 16:7b)
-RA