Is God a Good Cop or a Bad Cop?
Monday, January 19, 2026
“God is more willing to pardon than to punish. Mercy does more multiply in Him than sin in us. Mercy is His nature. The bee naturally gives honey; it stings only when it is provoked.” – Thomas Watson
Ask yourself the following question: As a parent, do you prefer to bless your children or punish them? Would you rather give them a hug or a spanking?
Now you know how God feels about His children.
It’s not that He won’t discipline us when we need it. After all, God is a loving Father, and no loving parent forgoes the proper disciplining of their child. In fact, that would be considered child abuse of the highest order.
A simple look at Proverbs 13:24 – “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently” – should settle that question once and for all.
In similar fashion, Hebrews 12:3-11 talks about how God’s chastening may be unpleasant for a season but is 100% necessary. Best of all, that passage proves that we are loved as His children because He cares enough to set us straight when we go astray.
And then there is Jesus’s teaching in Luke 11:11-13 about the love of God the Father. “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
So, what’s the moral of today’s story? Don’t provoke God by disobeying Him and you won’t get “stung”. Instead, He will most likely shower you with love, mercy, and a whole boatload of blessings.
“I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.” Ezekiel 34:26 (NKJV)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
