Journal Entry // March 11, 2022
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
Exodus 34:6 ESV
When the Lord our God passes before Moses and proclaims the name of the Lord, he reveals that the heart of God is full of mercy and grace, patient, and abounding in a love and faithfulness that is unwavering. That is only the beginning of his description, but even this is far too deep for me this morning. There in the heart of the Lord’s description of himself I see Jesus. We tend to think that Jesus and the God of the Old Testament are different in character. That God was full of wrath in the Old Testament and Jesus is meek and mild in the New. What are we missing when we think this way? We miss the heart of God, for when you see Jesus, you have seen the Father.
He is merciful and gracious. Simply that. No adjectives needed because he is the embodiment of mercy and grace. When we come to the Lord, we find mercy and grace for that is what he is.
He is slow to anger… Patient. I oftentimes lose sight of his patience. I allow myself to become more like the world in it’s insatiable desire for instant gratification and lose sight of the patience of God with me. I forget that this merciful and gracious God is patient. He works to woo me into repentance. He works to transform my wayward heart and align it with himself.
He is abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. I have always marveled at this phrase. It is truly enough to know that he loves me steadfastly. That his love for me never fails. But he also says that this never failing love is abounding. There is a deep deep fathom of steadfast love and faithfulness in the Lord. Limitless. I could draw from this well of love and it not be diminished. It abounds.
I am truly so weak in my faith and understanding of the richness and beauty of Jesus. I put so many limits and restraints on the character of Christ as I seemingly want to make him more like me. But he is calling me to be like Him. He wants me to taste and see the abounding steadfast love that he has for me. He wants me to come and enjoy his mercy and grace knowing that he is patiently drawing me to himself. I need this patience as well. I need to patiently be growing through humble repentance. Learning to be steadfast in my love for Jesus. Drinking deep from that well of steadfast love and faithfulness that abounds for me. Growing and maturing my faith in Jesus with patient humility.