This passage is a hopeful passage. It reminds us that our Lord is merciful and full of grace and slow to anger–so unlike human beings. We already know how infinite God’s mercy is, how He loves us, how He forgives us, how when He doesn’t hold our transgressions against us. He’s good to everybody and we know that He’s full of grace because He’s given us much, much more than we ever deserved. He’s given us our lives. He’s given us our homes, our families, our jobs. Most importantly, He’s given us our salvation. We deserve none of this. He’s also slow to anger and He’s patient with us. Not an especially prevalent human quality because we don’t tend to be patient with each other, He doesn’t hold grudges against us. He’s not quick to punish us when we do wrong but it gives us opportunity to repent. He’s a loving God. These are the attributes of a loving God and we can take heart in that because it means that, no matter what we do, God is willing to work with us; He’s willing to see past our faults and give us opportunity after opportunity to do the right thing. He loves his children and He wants his children to have every possible opportunity in this world to succeed.
And we pray:
Father, I thank You that You are patience defined, Amen. You do not move punish me when I do wrong. You are mercy and grace filled, Amen. I know what I deserved in my disobedience, and instead, You give me everything I didn’t deserve. Help me to be merciful and patient with others, as You have been with me in all my ways, Amen.