“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
Romans 2:4
One of my motivations for putting pen to paper when I meditate on the Word of God is to save myself from thinking lightly about the riches of God. My joy in reading and pondering God’s Word fades quickly when I don’t write down my observations. If I move too quickly over the Word I’ll think lightly of them. But if I slow down and let them sink in, they gain weight. Writing out my thoughts slows me down – it requires me to think more deeply about the words. Not only has the discipline of writing caused me to give more weight to the Word, but it also helps me to handle the Word in a more fitting way, in a manner that reflects the treasure chest of glory that it truly is.
Every single day I experience the profound mercy, kindness and forbearance of God. If I could see the true condition of my life and my heart, without a self-defending, blind eye toward my own sin; if I could see my sin like God does, I would not think so lightly about His longsuffering forbearance! I praise God that He is a covenant keeping God, upholding the value of Christ’s righteousness, granting me forgiveness on His behalf. Otherwise, if God did not uphold Christ’s righteousness for me, I would quickly be overwhelmed by the wrath of God stored up day after God-forgetting day.
How easily I forget about God’s mercy and kindness and presume upon His mercy. Not just for my own sin, but for His forbearance toward all the sins of mankind. There are times when the earth reminds us of God’s impending wrath and judgment against sin. When we face such reminders we are sobered. But often, in my case, such sobriety is short lived and I return to my mercy-forgetting, kindness amnesia. I return to a state of comfort-expecting, difficulty-despising forgetfulness.
O my soul, work at not thinking lightly about God’s kindness to you. Ponder His forbearance both in His common blessings, and all the more in His wondrous grace granted to you in Christ! Lord, please help me to lift from your Word weighty rocks of truth and remembrance. Let me put them in my pockets so that throughout the day their presence will be felt, keeping me from thinking lightly about your grace to me in Christ. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
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