Is God just waiting for people to mess up so He can punish them?
No. The idea that God waits for frail humans to goof up so He can zap them is not God's attitude. Instead, God's attitude is one of total love, mercy, and grace, as shown in His love for Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
Les explains that many people do not understand the grace of God. They think God is something up there, just waiting for some frail human being to goof up so He can zap them. But Les says that is not God's attitude; God's attitude is one of total love, mercy, and grace. Les points to John chapter 11 and the account of Lazarus. The emphasis all through that chapter was not how much Mary and Martha loved Jesus, but how much He loved them. When Jesus wept, the Jews in the area said, "Look how He loved them." Les says we must constantly remember that it is not how much we love Him, but how much He loved us, saved us, and kept us. Paul then says, with that in view, "I do not frustrate the grace of God."