The patience of God

Written by Myles MacMillan.

"What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory - even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?" (NIV) Romans 9:22-24

In this part of the letter to the Romans, Paul brings up an excellent point about God’s patience. One of the incredible attributes of our God is that He is not bound by time and space as we understand time and space. Consider what Isaiah says about God in Isaiah 46:10: “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” We see here that God can see the “end from the beginning” meaning that He knows and has always known everything that will happen including the choices we will all make. This is why God is able to tell Moses that Pharaoh will reject His demands before he even sends Moses into Egypt (Exodus 3). The other discovery we can make from the Isaiah verse is that, despite the free-will choices we are all capable of making, God is still able to accomplish His purpose. This is why Romans 9:17 says “For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Our God is able to use people like Pharaoh who reject Him to accomplish His plans without taking away free will, this is truly amazing!

With this in mind, we come to the section of scripture from Romans at the beginning of this devotional. Since God is able to know our choices before we make them, we might wonder why He continues to allow people to go on rejecting Him time and time again – Pharaoh is one of the best examples of this: God knew that Pharaoh would reject Him but He still showed patience towards Him, giving Him ten chances to change His mind with each plague. Why didn’t God just wipe him out after the first time he disobeyed? I believe we find the answer to this question in Romans 9:23. Paul says that God shows patience to those who oppose Him so that others can see the “riches of His Glory”. Sometimes I think we forget how powerful our God is - the truth is that we are His creation and He does not owe us anything. God would be entirely justified in instantly wiping out anyone who opposed Him, but despite all of this, God chooses to show us patience out of His love for us. 2 Peter 3:9 says: “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.” Again in 1 John 1:9 it says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” If you’re anything like me, you can be as stubborn as Pharaoh from time to time. When we reflect on these verses we cannot help but feel blessed to serve a patient God who gives us time to come to repentance and confess our sins.

The new year is still upon us and many may still be considering a change in their lives. There is no better time than now to take advantage of the patience that our God is offering us today. Maybe you need more information on how to become a New Testament Christian – if so, please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. team without delay. Maybe you are a Christian who has been holding onto sin in your life. Now is the time to confess your sins, repent and allow God to purify you from all unrighteousness. To God be the Glory!

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