Devotions: Characteristic Compassion

Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Exodus 34:6-7 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

In the previous chapter, Moses asked to see God, to know and understand Him. God passed by in front of him so that Moses could see His back and made this proclamation. This is a list of God’s characteristics, parts of His nature. It is important to note that He is all of these things always and perfectly. He is above all a God of love and grace and compassion. They are not only things He does, they are Who He is. He does get angry, but it takes a lot to get Him riled. His truth and compassion are abundant. He punishes sin, but He also forgives. He is both just and merciful. Another part of His nature is His holiness which means that He cannot be in the presence of sin. He will forgive if genuine repentance is offered, but if it is not it will be punished. He cannot tolerate sin. We need to keep this in mind when we read of or experience His chastisement. He willingly forgives, but He cannot turn a blind eye to sin. Those who don’t repent are inviting His punishment, rejecting His mercy and compassion. God longs to have compassion on you, will you welcome it?