Several years ago a volleyball mom asked Heather if our family would like to come over for lunch, since our boys played on the same team and had become friends. I was pretty busy with work, and not particularly looking forward to it, but, who knows, they might be interesting people.

We sat down for lunch, and I asked the dad what he did for work. He told me his blue collar job and I thought, “oh boy, this is going to be a long afternoon”. When the opportunity came up to drive the boys to practice, I jumped on it.

After dropping them off, I was driving back to the family’s house and I felt the Holy Spirit nudging me. Maybe my attitude was a little off. So I checked in with God. What did he think of my behaviour?

“That’s my son!” he roared. His intensity startled me. I had taken the moment so casually, but God seemed to take it so seriously. I wanted to understand God’s emotion, so I prayed, “God, reveal your wrath to me. Let me feel your anger.”

Boom! I’m not sure I can describe it. I was instantly terrified, shaking not only all through my body, but through my soul. Tears poured down my face. Anguish. Despair. Straight up Fear. Tons of fear. I can’t describe it.

Fortunately, I was able to ask him to stop, and he relented. It shook me through and through. God values human beings much more than I had known. I would never make that mistake again. Seriously, I haven’t. Too scared. Very effective lesson.

I asked God if we could do this more often. Not the terror, but the feedback loop when I behave poorly. Then I started noticing that he does give me feedback, I just wasn’t paying attention.

Little things. One time I told a friend that his sweater was ugly. I didn’t realize it was a gift from his son. As I turned around, I stubbed my toe. A small correction for a small mistake. Then I noticed sometimes I’d get sick and I somehow knew it was God correcting me with some tangible consequences for my sin. He loves me too much to let me wander too far away.

Does God still punish us on this planet, like he did in the Old Testament? Or is it all deferred until heaven and hell are fully manifested? I searched through the New Testament, after Jesus rose from the dead. Sure enough, people still getting struck dead and blind, given over to sinfulness, getting sick, cursed and opposed….

• Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. – Acts 5:9-10
• Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. – Acts 12:23
• Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun. – Acts 13:10-11
• Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts – Romans 1:24
• Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. – Romans 1:26
• so God gave them over to a depraved mind – Romans 1:28
• hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. – 1 Corinthians 5:5
• That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. – 1 Corinthians 11:30
• I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. – 2 Corinthians 13:2-3
• If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! – Galatians 1:9
• The wrath of God has come upon them at last. – 1 Thessalonians 2:16
• For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. – 2 Thessalonians 2:11
• Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. – 1 Timothy 1:20
• that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. – 2 Timothy 2:26
• God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. – James 4:6
• “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” – 1 Peter 3:12

When something goes wrong, it might be good to check in. Our loving God is not afraid to correct us in this life.