"The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and filled with unfailing love."
These characteristics of God are listed in Ps. 86: 15, Ps. 103: 8, Ps. 145:8, Numbers 14:18, Neh. 9:17, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2, but it is originally found in Exodus 34:6
Background on the verse: Moses had broken the commandment tablets. God told Moses to get some new ones and bring them back up Mt. Sinai and there with tablets in hand God met with Moses.
An earlier verse said that God passed by Moses. Whether or not this was God literally in flesh passing by Moses or his spirit it had to be an amazing and awe inducing experience.
Then God speaks to Moses telling him about himself. He gives a new revelation of who he is and what his character is like. Later on Moses rejoices and thanks God for finding him worthy to share those secrets with him. God shared about himself like we would do with a friend.
God tells Moses that he, God, is compassionate, merciful, (here it is) slow to anger, filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
So let's look at this "slow to anger" or patient. You know, God does have a legitimate reason to get angry. That reason is sin. Now, God's anger is not evil. It is found in his just and holy character. This character is offended by our sin. Even though God has a good reason and the right to get angry over rebellion and sin, he himself tells us that he is not easily angered by this. God does and will judge us, but he is patient so that none shall perish. (2 Peter 3:9)
The word "slow to anger" in the Hebrew is used 10 times in the Old Testament to refer to God's patience. I feel like if it's written that many times then it's something that God not only wants us to learn about him, but something he wants us to apply to ourselves.
Daily God continues to demonstrate his patience with us. It could be being patient when we continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. Or his patience with those who refuse to live their lives in accordance to the way they want to live it. Since God shows us his patience and his mercy continually, we are to imitate this as well with others. Things are a lot harder when you throw people into the equation. :)
But God knows that having patience or being slow to anger is not one of our strong points. He knows that it is definitely something we cannot do alone. We cannot do it in our own strength. He knows we need his help. It's one of the fruits of the spirit: long-suffering. These fruits do grow, but not by our own will. It grows in our hearts and in our minds when we're cultivating it. As we grow in our knowledge of God and as we yield ourselves to God the tree and fruit of patience will sprout and flourish in us.
*Simply adore this song by Shane and Shane: Psalm 145*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI1V2uaBRZA
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