Daily Devotional – Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Romans 2:4 (NKJV)
Compared to human beings, God is unfathomably patient. To understand this assertion, review your history of sin vis-à-vis God’s mercy. If God presented a list of your sins, how long would it be? In response, would you not exclaim, “Why is God so patient?”
The Longsuffering God
Contrast God’s attitude with yours. How many people are still on your blacklist because you cannot forgive them? Is there a person who has hurt you as many times as you have offended God? Just how does God manage to be so forgiving?
God answers this question when He describes Himself as, “merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin…” (Exodus 34:6-7). Patience is a character trait of God.
The Goodness of God Leads You to Repentance
How, then, should we react to God’s longsuffering nature? Human beings, by nature, love to take advantage of others. When you forgive a person all the time, there is a likelihood of that person assuming you are weak and continue to hurt you.
This contrast between human impatience with aggressors and God’s mercy and kindness towards relentless sinners must have been on the on Apostle Paul’s mind when he told the Christians in Rome, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).
Why Is God So Patient?
What a wonderful insight into God’s forbearance! God is patient with us because He wants us to realize and acknowledge our sinfulness for us to benefit from His forgiveness. Instead of taking His kindness, mercy and patience for granted, we should respond by repenting our sins.
Why is God so patient? Because of His nature and His desire to save you! How are you responding to this forbearance? Is it by continuing to sin believing, He will always forgive you, or by living for Him in response to His unfathomable fortitude and kindness?
Prayer
Dear God, why are You so patient with me? Help me to live for You because that is the only way I can repay Your love, if ever.
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If it were not for His patience nobody could see God.
Quite true, Pr