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Presented by Lisa Bishop
Do you know God is patient with you? God himself states this about his character when in Exodus 34:6-7 he declares,
The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
We see throughout the Old Testament the numerous times the Israelites tested God’s patience by chasing after their own man-made gods and continually disobeying the Lord’s instructions on multiple occasions. And they did experience the repercussions brought on by their own behavior. But if you look closely, even when they rebel, God is always slow to anger and quick to forgive. He demonstrates patience as the Israelites defy him time and time again. And when he does express anger, it is a response to human evil and is ultimately an expression of his compassion and loyal love. He knows their rebellious ways and God is not content to let his people self-destruct. He gives them time to acknowledge their waywardness and repent; and in the waiting, he never removes his compassion, mercy, and love from them. He will never remove his compassion, mercy, and love from you.
Sometimes we think God is just waiting to unleash his dissatisfaction on us when we mess up, and that is not true. God is not punitive. Any punishment you deserve, Jesus paid the price for. Period. And God isn’t like us. He doesn’t lash out in the heat of a moment or get angry at petty and small things. His anger burns at true injustice, and again, even then, he is ultimately slow to become angry.
You may have had an earthly father who was quick with harsh words or ready to turn into a full-on rage when you made the slightest misstep. If that is what you experienced growing up, I want to say that I am sorry for the pain that caused you. You deserved to be loved fully, and treated with kindness, care and tenderness. Sometimes it is hard to believe our heavenly father is patient and loving because we did not have a great example of a compassionate father here on earth.
Whether you had a father who demonstrated patience or lack of, I pray that you would grow more and more in the true knowledge of God. That he is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love for you.