Slow to anger
Today's focusGod reveals himself as merciful, gracious, slow to anger and abundant in goodness and truth; his patience is the model for ours.
Read
5And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Reflection
In this passage, God descends in a cloud to reveal His true character. When He proclaims His name, He does not lead with His power or His judgment. Instead, He describes Himself first as "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." To be "longsuffering" means that God is slow to anger. He is not reactive or quick to strike when we fail; rather, He is "forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." This is the foundational nature of the God who stands with you today.
Because God treats you with such patient mercy, His character becomes the model for your own heart. While the passage acknowledges that He "will by no means clear the guilty," the emphasis remains on His "goodness" that extends to "thousands." When you feel a flash of temper or the urge to be harsh with those around you, remember the "longsuffering" God who has passed by you. He invites you to reflect His graciousness, choosing to be slow to anger just as He is patient with you.
AI-written reflection on the passage above. Let Scripture itself be the main thing.
Reflect
How does it feel to know that God is slow to anger with you, and how might that shape how you treat others?
Pray
Lord, you are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and full of steadfast love. Thank you for your patience with me. Make me more like you.