Divine Delay

While it is true that we often rant and rail against the way God delays in acting in our behalf, it is also true that His delay can be seen as an act of mercy.  As Paul moves into that section of his letter which speaks directly to the Jewish members of the Roman church, he cautions them about their tendency to judge others.  Why would they dare do such a thing when the words of judgment against others is often an indictment about what is in their own heart.  He asks the question, "...do you despise the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience?  (Romans 2:4)    

What these Jewish converts often failed to consider is the reality that the judgment or the wrath they deserve for their sin and disobedience is being delayed by a merciful God.  If the wrath of God fell upon us in the moment we yielded to the temptation to sin, we would indeed be in a terrible predicament.  The fact that He does not make a "knee jerk" reaction to our sin does indeed speak of undeserved mercy.    

Instead of taking His mercy for granted, instead of sinning with the thought that God will forgive, a better response would be confessing our sin and expressing gratitude to God for a kindness and patience that grants time for us to come to our senses. When God looks upon our sin, He is surely displeased, but He is also full of kindness and patience which provides the opportunity for us to come to a time of confession and repentance.  A world without that kindness would be a hard and impossible place to live, but instead, we can live with gratitude for a kindness that is not shut off to us because we have missed the mark once again.