Today’s 333 Devotional: “God is Longsuffering, Not Forever-Suffering”

This is something that I have mentioned on many occasions that God is longsuffering, but He is not forever-suffering.

Children will test our patience. This is something every parent knows. Children will continue to do something to see how much they can get away with, or ask for something to see how far they can go. And while this is an attribute of a child, this shouldn’t be an attribute of a Christian. This isn’t the childlike faith God tells us that we’re supposed to have.

God is patient, especially when it comes to our salvation.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

But God’s patience has a limit. God is longsuffering, but He’s not forever suffering.

This is seen in the book of Amos when God said enough is enough.

“For three transgressions of … and for four, I will not turn away its punishment” (Amos 1:3-13).

God was patient, but then there was that one last thing that tipped the scale and God said, “No more.” It was the proverbial straw the broke the camel’s back.

But God gives us a way to come back into His good graces. He reveals it later in the book of Amos.

“Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3)

The reason for God’s judgment is because they left God out of the equation and they were no longer walking with Him, that is, following His will and way for their lives.

This turning process is called repentance. It means to turn back from the way we are going, and begin to walk in accordance to God’s word. Then He will forgive our sins and stop the upcoming judgment.

When God’s people turn from their ways and walk in accordance to His word then God promised blessing will kick in (Leviticus 26:1-8).