If I am honest, I have "mostly" found the Old Testament scary ever since I was a tot, but the Christian scriptures "mostly" provide me with a light feeling and hope within my heart. I do enjoy the insight into human relationships contained within those books; looking at how we can treat each other in a respectful way, whilst never leaving God out of the picture.
As for God destroying nations who do not come to his Son, well for me at least, I tend to apply the "other sheep not of this fold" to those ones. Who knows, maybe God is far more merciful than any of us can imagine?
I do love the Bible regardless of it's contradictory nature. When observing the old & the new side by side, the old appears to lack love. Yet, I suppose discipline is part of being a shepherd anyway, so ....