Gracious God

“Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you,
for the Lord is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.
Isaiah 30:18

God is gracious. He extends grace. I am so thankful for God’s grace. Because of His grace, I know forgiveness, acceptance, love, peace, joy, and hope. Without His grace there is hopelessness, self-hatred, regret, guilt, and depression. I opt for the grace of God.

So often I hear that the God of the Old Testament was a God of judgment and anger. But as I have read and studied the Old Testament, I find this far from the truth. God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever! His compassion is timeless and reaching. He waits for us to turn to Him. His judgment is for those who willfully refuse His salvation, love, and forgiveness. We are most blessed who seek God, who desire the things of God. Who long for a relationship with God. And we are blessed to be New Testament believers because we can come boldly to the throne of grace. We can cry out, “Abba. Father.” We can stand in the presence of God through praise because of the blood of Jesus and God’s compassion and grace.