Attributes of God: The Patience of God

The patience of God is an attribute that we don't find in Scripture as much as the other attributes, but that doesn't mean it should be looked upon with less value or importance. The patience of God should be revered and admired in the same way as all of His other attributes. In fact, it should be an attribute that we appreciate and think about much more than we do. 

Patience is not found in the concordance as much as the other attributes, and most references point to biblical instructions for us to learn and practice patience in our daily lives. While we don't have many passages that speak about God's patience, the grace of His patience is demonstrated throughout Scripture. You can find His patience in just about every biblical account of God's interaction with people. When you give it much thought, God's patience is really the power of control which God exercises over Himself, causing Him to refrain from dealing with us as we deserve: as fallen human beings. In Nahum 1:3 we read, "The LORD is slow to anger but great in power". 

While we don't find many passages speaking about God's patience, Scripture speaks of His long-suffering and mercy over and over again. 

We can view God's patience as the restraint He puts on His actions according to His will. This doesn't mean by any means that He ignores our actions. His power of patience comes with His power of justice. Disobedience and sin will be dealt with and there will be consequences. When the Israelites continued to disobey God and complain to Moses in the wilderness, God told Moses, "I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them." 

Moses pleaded with the LORD for the Israelites. Numbers 14:17-19 reads, "So now, may my LORD's power be magnified just as you have spoken: The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers' iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation. Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love, just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now. 

The LORD pardoned them as Moses requested, but there were still consequences. None of the people, who witnessed the signs that God performed in Egypt and still didn't obey Him, were going to set foot into the Promised land. For the believer, Jesus Christ took upon Himself the penalty for our sins. God didn't hold back His wrath upon His Son when dealing with our sins. There were still consequences for our sin.

"The God of patience" (Rom 15:5) is one of His Divine titles. God is both the Author and Object of the grace of patience. 

While we have countless examples of God's patience towards people in the Bible, we shouldn't be too quick to point out their faults. How patient has God been to each one of us? What things have we done, or failed to do, and still stand today because of God's patience, mercy, and long-suffering towards us?

God's patience is also a pattern demonstrated to us and for us to follow. Colossians 3:12 says, "Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Pastor Bryan

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