Nature of God
This verse describes the nature of God. The Lord is full of infinite grace, mercy/compassion, patience, and love! "And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, 'The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.'" (Exodus 34:6-7a) "You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to You...You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." (Psalm 86:5, 15) "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." (Psalm 103:8) He is full of goodness, kindness, and generosity.Gracious
The Lord is gracious towards all sinners, offering us all the free gift of salvation. His Gospel is the Gospel of grace. He gives favor to the unworthy and pardon to the guilty.Merciful
The Lord is merciful; his mercies/compassions are new every morning. "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions (mercies) never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23) He cares and comforts. He is compassionate to the afflicted. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)Slow to Anger
The Lord is slow to anger. "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) He doesn't get mad or upset easily. He is being patient with the ungodly and unrepentant. He is waiting patiently like the father of the prodigal son.Abounding in Steadfast Love
The Lord is abounding in steadfast, patient, unrelenting love. He loves us with an everlasting love. God is love. Love (Jesus) came down from Heaven and rescued us. He is loving towards all.Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, how can I ever thank You enough for Your unending love, grace, and mercy for me! Thank You for being so patient with me and for always forgiving me! Please help me to be gracious, merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love just like You. In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen!
I love that verse! It obviously is important since it's the most quoted verse in the Old Testament by Old Testament authors!
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