Not many of us would describe ourselves as slow to anger because people and situations can unnerve us quickly. We should stand in grateful awe of the God who could lose His cool with us and doesn’t.
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Psalm 103:8-10
slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.
9Â He will not always accuse us
or be angry forever.
10Â He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our iniquities.
As David wrote the words of this psalm, he revealed characteristics of this consistent Yahweh. To start with, Yahweh shows compassion to us.
That means He is not impatiently expecting us to have it all together by tomorrow. He understands we are frail and make mistakes. We do not have a deity breathing down our necks demanding perfection.Â
He knows how to give us grace since we fail often.
He has the right to be angry but doesn’t rush to it.
His fuse is long.
He is slow to anger.
He doesn’t pop off.
He is not erupting in rage every time we step outside the lines.
He abounds in faithful love more than He does just punishments, yet we often view Him as precisely the opposite.
Our Father doesn’t accuse us (Psalm 103:9). If there is a voice of accusation in your head, reminding you of all the times you’ve failed, that is most definitely the enemy whose nickname is the accuser (Revelation 12:10). He consistently tattles on us, as if God isn’t aware and we aren’t guilty.
Our Father gets angry when we sin, but He doesn’t stay there. He won’t “be angry forever” (Psalm 103:10). He addresses our sins and is ready to move on to better things. Thankfully, “He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10).
Can you imagine if God did give us what we deserve? Our sins warrant death, hell, and separation from God. Don’t ever wish that you would get what is owed to you. We should be grateful that God promises to give us something other than what we deserve.
Many people know what it is like to live in fear of an authority figure coming to address us after we have blown it. The fear is paralyzing, especially if the individual lacks self-control. What a glorious reminder that our Father shows more patience than any other person in our life. Even though He knows us better, He treats us more graciously.
For all our mess-ups, it is incredible that we can still know God to be slow to anger.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
