Gracious and longsuffering.

"And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering …"

Exodus 34:6

The second character of God revealed to Moses after ‘merciful’ is ‘gracious.’ Gracious means to favour, bend or stoop to show favour to an inferior. Nehemiah 9:17 says, "… but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, ..."

The third expression of God's character is longsuffering. Longsuffering means slow to anger, patient, etc. The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God's Word translation puts it thus, "The Lord isn't slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn't want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act." God is longsuffering. He wants to give opportunity for all men to be saved.

The reason why speedy judgment and destruction do not come on wicked men in their sins is because God is longsuffering. He gives them a space to repent so that on the Day of Judgment they will be without excuse.

Instruction.

Make intercession today for the unsaved around you, that their hearts will be open to the gospel.

For further study read:

2 Peter 3:15, Romans 2:4, Jeremiah 18:7-8.

Doing the Word

Please reach out to someone today with the gospel of Christ’s love.