See the Glory of the Lord
And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering.” Exodus 34:6
We are usually ready to forgive and bear with people if they wrong us once or twice. Peter very generously suggested even seven times. But do any of us really forgive seventy times seven times? (Matthew 18:22) Not even close. We quickly tire of such abuse and turn away from an aggressor.
The most amazing evidence of God’s grace and mercy is that He went with His rebellious people into the wilderness. God was so angry with Israel that He wanted to destroy them. Moses pleaded for them and God relented. “But,” He said, “I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Exodus 33:3)
Moses pleaded again saying, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us?” (Exodus 33:15-16) Again God listened and promised to go with them.
The fact that God is gracious and merciful does not suggest that God does not care about our sins. He definitely does! But God is longsuffering! He bears with our abuse.
Even when Israel refused to go in and take possession of the Promised Land and accused God of evil intent in delivering them from their slavery in Egypt and God banished them to 40 years in the harsh wilderness, God still went with them into the desert. He endured their abuse, their sin and rebellion time and time again.
Oh rejoice in the longsuffering character of God’s grace! How much abuse have you heaped upon your loving, faithful God? Yet He has borne it patiently; Christ actually bore those sins in His own body on the cross. He did so that we “might live for righteousness.” (1 Peter 2:24)
Dear Father, we confess that we have often abused Your long-suffering mercy. Be merciful Lord and move us to rejoice and praise You for Your grace with a life of joyful obedience. Amen.