“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” Psalm 145:8
I am really glad that this verse describes our heavenly Father. Can you imagine if God were quick to anger like we are? What kind of terrible world would that be? How many of us would be in big trouble?
God is not like us. His ways are so far above ours. He doesn’t abuse or neglect us. Instead, He wraps us in His rich love and treats us with compassion and grace. 1 John 4:8 says that ‘God is love.’ Love is who God is. He has many attributes, like holy, all-knowing, all-powerful, completely just, righteous, and more. Because love is God’s nature, all of what He does flows from His essence.
Which means that it is out of love that God has compassion on us. It is from love that He grants us mercy – which is what we do not deserve because of our sins, and grace – which is what we don’t deserve but receive from His hand, all because of His essential nature – love. Love is what motivated the Father to send the Son to pay the price of sin for us. Nails didn’t hold God to a tree, but love did. Remember that you are loved by Someone who is Love itself.