The Kindness of God

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Have you ever sat back and really thought about the attributes of God? As I am sure you know, there are a lot of them! I believe that God is gracious. That he is slow to anger (otherwise I think we’d have a Groundhog Day scenario with Adam and Eve going on) and merciful. He is compassionate. He is sovereign. And he is good.

I recently had a birthday and was ruminating over the past year of my life. I thought about all of the cool stuff I did and got to see. The celebrations in which I participated. The joy of seeing friends become parents, wives, or husbands. All of the good food I ate! Mostly, I thought a lot about who God has been to me this past year of life. He is all the things I mentioned above and much, much more. God has been kind to me during the past year. I’ve never thought him to be unkind, but I’ve never really thought about his kindness either.

This year has been filled with a lot of uncertainty and insecurity about the future. A lot of plans were foiled and dreams not yet fulfilled. Despite all of that, this has been one of the very best years of my life. While the stuff I mentioned above has made it really great, it truly is only because of God’s kindness that it has been one of the best even in light of disappointment.

I could talk for awhile about the different ways he has shown me kindness, but the most life-giving has been through the peace that only he can give (Phil 4:7), the truth and stability I find in his word, rock solid gospel relationships, and so much more. Through his kindness I’ve been able to see that He is indeed El Roi, the “God who sees me.” That my desires are heard. That my wondering isn’t threatening to him. That Psalm 139 really is on to something when it says that darkness (including the darkness that I feel around me at times) isn’t and never will be dark to him. His kindness has given me the confidence to say and believe with absolute certainty and conviction that Satan will never have a say over me, my family, and my future. To put it simply, his kindness abounds in my life and he has been gracious to show me that in abundance this past year.

How do you think of God? In what ways do you see him active in your life? Are there ways in which you have never thought about God? I encourage you to think and pray over these attributes. Seeing God as kind this past year has helped me trust and see even more in all the other attributes that he always has been and will continue to be.

1 Comment

thank you daughter I was truly blessed by this but nothing has blessed me more than God giving me you as my child. As a parent our children are our legacy... I would say mines in good hands. Love ya Kid

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