"But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,

longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." Psalm 86:15

The third attribute of God that David mentioned in this Psalm is "longsuffering." As we read the Old Testament, we know that this word certainly describes God's patience in His dealings with the Nation of Israel. Repeatedly, they went against His commandments and walked in their own way. He sent prophets to warn them of the consequences, but they refused to listen and turn from their sin.

When Jesus began His ministry on earth, the Jewish leaders did not accept Him as the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah.

John 1:10-11 "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not."

In the Gospels, we read about all the ways He tried to show them that He was the Son of God, sent to earth to redeem people from sin. We see His long suffering demonstrated with His disciples as He taught them the things they needed to know so that they could proclaim His kingdom when He was no longer with them.

Longsuffering is described as: "having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people."

What does it mean for us to be longsuffering as we seek to imitate Jesus in our world today? Here are a few verses to consider.

Slow to anger - Proverbs 16:32 "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."

Enduring hardship - II Timothy 2:3 "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

Ignoring offences and mistakes of others - Matthew 5:44 "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."

Sound hard? It is, but with God all things are possible, as we daily seek His face.

Thought For Today: May we walk in the example that Jesus gave us.

Devotion by: Anne Johnston