The
Lord is long-suffering and of great might, but he will not let the guilty
escape punishment.His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are
the fine dust beneath his feet. Nahum 1:3
Or
do you despise his wealth of kindness and tolerance and patience, failing to
see that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Romans 2:4
How quick we are to judge, to condemn and seek
retribution. Yet the example God sets for us is to show kindness, tolerance and
patience. Rather than be quick to punish he just wants us to improve, to see
the error of our ways and repent – so why should we be any different? As I
write this, the storms have subsided but there are still plenty of clouds in
the sky and parts of the country are still covered by floods so these verses
carry a contemporary feel. There are those who have tried to claim that the recent
storms are a judgement from God but surely the people making that claim are
making exactly the sort of judgement that is criticised in Romans.
I actually get a considerable sense of relief and
reassurance from thinking about this. I would hate to think that every mistake
I make will instantly lead to punishment. It’s often said “we learn from our
mistakes” but we can’t learn if we aren’t allowed to make mistakes. A practical
application of this is the introduction of what is called “restorative justice”
which involves making offenders aware of the consequences of their actions from
their victims’ perspective. This can lead to offenders becoming genuinely sorry
for their actions and much lower re-offending rates. So, as God seems to
intend, wrongdoing has consequences but this should lead to repentance.
Dear
Lord, we are all imperfect and make mistakes. Thank you for your
kindness, tolerance and patience as you lead us back to the true path. Amen
Chris Burton
Wilbraham St
Ninian’s
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