When Mom says not to stick out our tongue, or it may get stung by a bee ...well, I've seen many people stick out their tongue, but never have I seen a bee sting their tongue.

Mom would speak it as sort of a warning, but really it was a suggestion or good sound advice on how to act.

The Bible also gives us advice ...but, it also gives us actual true warnings.  Often the warnings seem severe ...but, they could happen, and over time they mostly have happened.  

Sadly, the severity of a warning does not often get our attention.  We focus so much on the fact that we have a loving God, that we dismiss that He would ever let something so severe happen to us, who He loves.

The fact is, it is because He loves us that He gives us the warning.