Love Is Long Suffering

(Psa 145:8 KJV)  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

(Proverbs 2 also read)

God is capable of great wrath.  We know that He came down hard on Israel.  What we often forget when people are talking about the violence of God is that little phrase in this verse, “slow to anger”.  Remember that God is love.  Remember the first quality of love in I Corinthians, patience or long suffering.

Imagine if we actually received justice for our actions and attitudes.  The world would not be concerned about over-population.  There would be even more “Help Wanted” signs.  God is patient but keep in mind that He does have His limits.

So?  Live with an attitude of obedience, confession and repentance.  You will have nothing to fear.  

After the Comma

(Psa 145:18 KJV)  The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

(Proverbs 22 also read)

Notice the promise of this verse.  We like that.  Now notice the condition.  We don’t like that.  Unfortunately one of the realities of the Bible is that God often has conditions.  We like the idea of salvation is a free gift.  We don’t like the verse that says it is given so we will live a life of good works.  

This is not a contemporary issue.  Israel had this same problem.  They liked the idea of being God’s chosen people.  They liked the idea of inheriting the land.  What they didn’t like were the conditions that God kept attaching at the end of the promise.  They got in the habit of just reading the first part of the verse.  

So?  Sometimes the phrase after the comma is the key to the promise.  Keep reading.  Ignoring the rest of the verse will not be a magic potion that makes the spell work.  It will be the hole in the balloon that lets out all the air.