Jesus Waits to Show You Grace

Are you a gracious person? When you show grace to others, do you do it with joy or do you perhaps show grace begrudgingly? Truthfully, when we show grace, we often have a predetermined limit to our grace. And, even if the limit isn’t predetermined, you will know it when you reach the limit But, regardless of how gracious you are or are not, very few of us would say that we wait to show grace–that showing grace to others is something we look forward to doing. And yet, that is precisely how Isaiah describes the Lord:

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you.

Isaiah 30:18

God isn’t gracious to us out of requirement. He doesn’t show us grace to satisfy someone else or out of a sense of responsibility. God waits to be gracious. He wants to be gracious. He finds pleasure in extending grace toward us.

I don’t often appreciate this aspect of God’s character the way I should. It rarely occurs to me that I am undeserving of God’s love, but he desires to be gracious to me anyway–to overlook my sins and my shortcomings–and to welcome me in.

God lavishes his grace upon us. In Romans 5:20, Paul writes, where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Should we continue in sin? By no means, but know this, wherever there is great sin, God’s grace is greater. He doesn’t take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but there is rejoicing in heaven over every sinner who repents (Luke 15:7).

Are you a Christian today? God waited to save you. He waited, like a parent who waits to give a birthday gift. He waited to cover you in grace, mercy, and love. He waited because he cared. He even waited through your sin and shame. He waited through your rebellion and anger. He didn’t punish you immediately. He didn’t strike you dead. He waited. Why? Because he is slow to fulfill his promise? No. God waited because he is patient toward you and does not want you to perish (2 Peter 3:9).

If you are not a Christian today, there is great news. He is still waiting. Waiting patiently. A good God, waiting for you to turn from your rebellion and come home to him.

How does he respond when you come home? How does he respond after waiting days, months, or even years for you to repent of your sin? With grace, love, and mercy. He wraps you in his arms, welcomes you home, and throws a party.

About 10 years ago, my wife and I became aware of a friend who was living in secret sin. Because of the way we were made aware of the situation, we could not confront this person, but we could pray. Dietrich Bonhoeffer encouraged Christians to talk to Jesus more about our brothers and sisters in sin than to speak with our brothers and sisters about Christ. So, we prayed, and we waited. But we waited with a rehearsed response. We waited for the opportunity to say, “We knew, and we have loved you anyway.”

If we who are sinful can respond with grace how much more the Father who waits to be gracious to us?

God waits to be gracious. I suspect he also waits for us to respond to his grace with praise, glory, and honor. He is good. He is gracious. And he is worthy.

Celebrate this God who waits. And, tell someone else who needs to know, God is waiting for you too.

Photo by Alexandar Todov on Unsplash