Picture the God many of us learned in church, an old man in a beard with a lightning bolt in his hand.
Well, maybe without the lightning bolt, but the effect was the same.
“Walk out the door without repenting of every wicked thought, and if a truck hits you …”
“Glance at an attractive person and feel a lustful urge … you’re living dangerously.”
“One mile over the speed limit is all it takes to miss the coming of the Lord!”
We huddled in bed afraid to close our eyes for fear of a sin we might have missed. But … is that what God’s Word intends for us to learn? Fear? Overwhelming vindictiveness? A God with a lightning bolt ready to zap us when we step out of line?
Here’s what Psalm 34:8 has to say:
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Taste. See. Blessed. Refuge in him. That’s sounds less like a lightning bolt than a soft cushion and a tender touch.
Here’s our part in receiving the blessing of the LORD: We must find our refuge in him.
Those thoughts … God doesn’t like them, but HE LOVES US.
That person we see while walking down the street … GOD STILL LOVES US.
Our hurried drive along the freeway … God says, “MY HAND STILL COVERS YOU.”
So, go ahead and imagine God with a lightning bolt, one filled with love he’s about to explode all over you. God is good. He wants your life to be filled with his blessings. Psalm 34:8 tells us so.
Copyright © 2025 MyChurchNotes.net