God’s Patience

Exodus 34:6

The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

There is no better example of patience than that which is shown by God himself. Today’s verse is a record of God’s own words spoken to Moses on Mount Sinai. This comes after the making of the golden calf, which the people got Aaron to construct. Forty days Moses had been gone and the people were restless. Forty days! It seems that their memory was short and their patience shorter still.

The children of Israel seemed intent on testing God’s patience at every turn. They came extremely close to the limit when they worshipped and sacrificed to the golden idol. God burned with anger, so much so that He wanted to consume the people. Moses implored the Lord to remember His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God relented and did not bring the full weight of punishment upon them.

God’s patience provides mercy and dispenses grace. He has shown His patience to each and every one of us on many occasions. Times when we have turned our hearts away from Him and our faithfulness faltered, ‘Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath. He remembered that they were but flesh’ (Psalm 78:38).

Think about God’s patience when you are running out of yours.

Be gracious. Show love.