Have you ever tried to hide your sin from God? Have you withdrawn from Him in shame—afraid of his anger over what you’ve done? Or maybe you’ve convinced yourself that your sin isn’t all that bad. That there’s nothing to be ashamed of. The story we’re going to talk about corrects both of these false narratives that are quite common in the world.
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Guest: Nicole Furno
Bible Passage: Genesis 3:8-12
Get your Freebie: The Live Like It’s True Workbook
Recommended Resources: Amazon Storefront for the Genesis Series
Mentioned Resources:
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- I John 1:9, “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- Ann Voskamp
- Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
Music: Cade Popkin Music
Producer: Maria Lyons
Nicole Furmo
Nicole Furno is a South Florida-based Bible teacher, writer, and active blogger. With a Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies from Moody Theological Seminary, she combines her educational knowledge with her sense of humor to teach and write women’s Bible studies. Her infectious love for God’s Word encourages and inspires women no matter their age or stage of life. Nicole loves early mornings, farmers markets, fitness, and living by the ocean with her smarty-pants husband and three spunky children.
Find Nicole
God’s Anger Requires Provocation
On the podcast, I mentioned Dane Ortland’s teaching that God’s anger requires provocation; his bent toward us is love.
God's anger requires provocation; his bent toward us is love. Read Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortland. Share on XHere’s that quote:
“Slow to anger.” The Hebrew phrase is literally “long of nostrils.”
Picture an angry bull, pawing the ground, breathing loudly, nostrils flared. That would be, so to speak, “short-nosed.”
But the Lord is long-nosed. He doesn’t have his finger on the trigger. It takes much accumulated provoking to draw out his ire. Unlike us, who are often emotional dams ready to break, God can put up with a lot. This is why the Old Testament speaks of God being “provoked to anger” by his people dozens of times (especially in Deuteronomy; 1–2 Kings; and Jeremiah). But not once are we told that God is “provoked to love” or “provoked to mercy.”
His anger requires provocation; his mercy is pent up, ready to gush forth. We tend to think: divine anger is pent up, spring-loaded; divine mercy is slow to build. It’s just the opposite. Divine mercy is ready to burst forth at the slightest prick.”
― Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers
Recommended Resources
These are some of the books that have helped me prepare for the conversations we’re having about the True Story of the Beginning. I highly recommend each of these books, which are each written by guests on the podcast. If you click this link, it will take you to my Amazon storefront, where I receive a small commission on your purchase.
Recommended Reading (Amazon)
- In His Image Movie – If you haven’t watched this, you should.
- Spotify Playlist – podcast episodes that helped me think through some of the things we’re talking through this season
Get Your FREE Live Like it’s True Workbook
To help you, we’ve added a False Narrative Watchlist as part of the Live Like It’s True Workbook, which correlates with this Story of the Beginning series. This part of the workbook helps you to put side by side, the truths communicated in this story, next to the false narratives of the world. I hope you’ll pick up your free copy today!
Return to the Tree of Life: Painting by Cheyenne
Purchase the 8×10 Print with the Hanging Frame
The two trees side by side, depict the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Tree of Life which were both in the Garden of Eden. (See Genesis 2:9.) Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, the tree with the forbidden fruit has a path leading away from the Garden. But off in the distance, there is a cross. And then, there’s also a path leading from the cross, back to the Tree of Life. That’s our story, isn’t it?
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