Inscribe the Word is taking a twelve-part journey through the Attributes of God, and we are excited for you to join us. This November, we begin Part Eleven in our Attributes of God Series. If you have just joined us, know that you do not have to study these attributes in order. Jump in at any time. You will be blessed!

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It has been quite a year.

2020.

I know . . . we are all tired of talking about it, but I am sure we have all continued to pray over this year.

My prayers have been filled with many complaints in 2020, and Friends, I don't think there is anything wrong with bringing our cries before God. David prays in Psalm 142:1-3, "I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD's mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn . . . ". I think it is far better to share our complaints with our Omniscient God than burden others and ourselves with them.

But lately, my prayers have turned from complaints and grief to "have mercy on us, Lord. Forgive us of our sins and remember Your patience to generations that came before.".

It is with these prayers that the Lord stirred my heart for this month's theme.
We have come to Part Eleven in our Attributes of God Series as we study
THE PATIENT and MERCIFUL GOD.

SIMILAR but DIFFERENT.

As we study the patience (longsuffering/slow to anger) and mercy (loving-kindness) of God this month, we will see that although similar, these two attributes are different from each other. A.W. Pink wrote that "God's longsuffering is mentioned in conjunction with His grace and mercy again and again. That the patience of God is really a display of His mercy. (source)

God's patience is a display of His mercy. Puritan Steven Charnock said it this way, "God's slowness to anger is a branch...from His mercy: "The Lord is full of compassion, slow to anger" (Ps. 145:8).

THE PATIENCE of GOD.

As we read and Inscribe the Scriptures for this month, your translation may have a few different words for patience. You may read that the Lord is "slow to anger" or "longsuffering." Both of those words can be translated as patience.

John Ross Macduff was a Scottish author of religious essays. He was born in Scotland in 1818 and, throughout his ministry, wrote numerous devotionals. I read through his "NIGHT WATCHES," and it is a remarkable work.

I would love to share John Macduff's words with you today.

There is no more wondrous subject than this- "The Patience of God." Think of the lapse of ages during which that patience has lasted- 6OOO years. Think of the multitudes who have been the subjects of it- millions on millions, in successive climates and centuries. Think of the sins which have, all that time, been trying and wearying that patience-their number- their heinousness- their aggravation. The world's history is a consecutive history of iniquity, a lengthened provocation of the Almighty's forbearance. The Church, like a feeble ark, tossed on a mighty ocean of unbelief; and yet the world, with its cumberers, still spared!

And who is this God of patience? It is the Almighty Being who could strike these millions down in a moment; who could, by a breath, annihilate the world- no, who would require no positive or visible putting forth of His omnipotence to effect this, but simply to withdraw His sustaining arm!

Surely, of all the examples of the Almighty's power, there is none more wondrous or amazing than "God's power over Himself." He is "slow to anger." "Judgment is His strange work." He "shows mercy unto thousands [of generations]." God bears for 15OO years, from Moses to Jesus, with Israel's unbelief; and yet, as a writer remarks, "He speaks of it as but a day." "All day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people." What is the explanation of all this tenderness? "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord!"

Believer, how great has been God's patience towards you!

In your unconverted state, when a wanderer from His fold, with what unwearied love He went after you; notwithstanding all your waywardness; never ceasing the pursuit "until He found you!"

Think of your fainting and weariness since being converted- your ever-changing frames and feelings- the ebbings and the flowings in the tide of your love; and yet, instead of surrendering you to your own perverse will, His language concerning you is, "How can I give you up?" For a lifetime, your Savior-God has been standing knocking at your door; and His attitude is still the same- "Behold, I stand!"

How should the patience of Jesus lead me to be submissive under trial! When He has so long borne with me, shall not I "bear" with Him? When I think of His patience under a far heavier cross, can I murmur when He murmured not! No, I will check every repining thought, and looking up, in confiding affection, to "the God of all patience.”

THE MERCY of GOD.

God being merciful basically means that, when we deserve punishment, He doesn’t punish us, and in fact blesses us instead. Mercy is the withholding of a just condemnation. Throughout the Bible, God gives many illustrations of His mercy. God fully demonstrates His mercy in Jesus Christ. (Source)

In his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer says, "To receive mercy we must first know that God is merciful. And it is not enough to believe that He once showed mercy to Noah or Abraham or David and will again show mercy in some happy future day. We must believe that God's mercy is boundless, free, and, through Jesus Christ our Lord, available to us now in our present situation."

His mercy is new every morning (Lam. 3:23) and as high as the heavens (Ps. 36:5). His mercies fill the earth (Ps. 119:64) and are over all His works! (Ps. 145:9)

God’s mercy is often found hand-in-hand with His grace. Mercy has to do with kindness and compassion; it is often spoken of in the context of God’s not punishing us as our sins deserve. Grace includes kindness and compassion but also carries the idea of bestowing a gift or favor.

As with all of God’s Attributes, they cannot be taken apart from one another. Imagine a beautiful tapestry, intricately woven together. These are the Attributes of God. It would be impossible to pull one attribute away from another. Just as His love and grace go together, so do His wrath and mercy, patience, and power.

I am looking forward to Inscribing these Attributes of God with you this month. My prayer is that the Lord continues to shower mercy upon us. That He continues to be patient with us. And that in turn, we show patience and mercy to those around us.