Does God get angry?

Others' response to the LORD is never our focus!

What we receive is for us to share...oh, but staying faithful to that is so hard!  Jeremiah and Baruch teamed up to share the message from God that judgment was coming.  There seemed to be a positive response at first, and the invitation came to share with the King.  That King tossed the Word into the fire and quenched the response of those who had been moved to bring it to him.  While leaders are accountable to God, their response must not dictate our own.  Stewards must be faithful.  Baruch and Jeremiah were not deterred by his response and re-created the destroyed Word.  That's our call too...and there is more.  Jeremiah went on to be the living example of the messages God gave.  The derision of others--even their rejection and persecution--did not over-ride their responsibility to share what God entrusted. 

By the way, that message Jeremiah was sharing is not one many like to give: consequences for choosing our way over God's way.  Jeremiah wasn't the only one given that message.  One who shared that was martyred.  Most of Israel's prophets chose to lie to the people instead.  But God is serious about people living His way.  Imperfect living is not the same as irreverent disregard.  None of us will be perfect, but all of us are called to seek Him. 

God will stop at nothing to get folks looking to Him.  His wrath will fall to move folks in that direction--not because He's mad at us but because He's furious at the devastation sin brings!  In fact, He's so serious He even told Jeremiah, 'Don't pray for good for these people.'  Sometimes we can 'love' people to death.  Our sympathy must never lead us to be 'amateur providences' in the lives of our loved ones.  What God ordains is for good.  Faith trusts Him even with the people we love the most.