or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (romans 2:4)
God’s kindness
today as you meditate on the character of God, take time to dwell upon his kindness–
but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. [titus 3:4-7]
yes, it is his justice and his own mercy that he acts, but the way in which he deals with us is kindly, with compassion.
in the old testamant, the hebrew term ḥeseḏ (chesed) is used,and it appears over 250 times in scripture:
here is an example:
In overflowing anger for a moment
i hid my face from you,
but with everlasting [ḥeseḏ] i will have compassion on you,”
says the LORD, your Redeemer [isaiah 54:8]
the kindness of God, is so much a part of his character that if we are followers of Jesus, our lives will be marked by it:
but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [galatians 5:22-23]
put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony [colossians 3:12-14]
do you know the kindness of God? do you know yourself a recipient of the kindness of Jesus our Savior? do you walk in kindness to those around you as a follower of Jesus?
and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.[ephesians 2:6-7]
meditate on the kindness of Jesus today! when we rest in his kindness, it leads to repentance and an overflowing of kindness towards others!
~ce