Saturday 16 February 2013

Slow to anger

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Ps 145:8

God is slow to anger; are we? Anger is a negative, fatal force in the life of the Christian, as it is directly opposed to the mercy which God has poured out on us, and has called us to pour out on others. Anger is the beginning of malice and bitterness. 

When was the last time you felt at the end of your tolerance level with people? “If she says that again, I’m going to throw her out.” “If she does that to me again, I’m going to walk right out that door.” We may not carry through with our threats, but the fact remains, our patience is exhausted, and we feel we are about to have a nervous breakdown. Our breaking point probably varies from day to day, and on any given day everybody’s breaking point is slightly different. But there is one person whose patience level is always absolutely higher than ours. It is part of God’s nature to be slow to anger.


A lady once came to Billy Sunday and tried to rationalize her angry outbursts. "There's nothing wrong with losing my temper," she said. "I blow up, and then it's all over." 
"So does a shotgun," Sunday replied, "and look at the damage it leaves behind!"

 Our sin is a terrible wrongdoing to God’s holy personality, and His justice cries out for its punishment. But at the same time, His love is craving to forgive us, His grace is making it possible for Him to forgive us even though we do not deserve it, His mercy is reaching out to us in compassion over the consequences which our sin has caused us, and His long-suffering is delaying the punishment we deserve, giving us the opportunity to repent and trust His grace. He is rich in love. What a magnificent God!

He is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. All these are what make him God!! Man is fast to anger and poor in love. If God was like that then there would be no earth. His mercy is what makes the world go round today. Let’s learn from our God to be slow to anger and rich in love. Let’s forgive one another and spread the love of Jesus.

Amen!! Hallelujah!!

By Carolyn Thomas

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