The God of Another Chance

The Bible refers to God’s longsuffering at least fourteen times. Moses wrote, “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression. . .” (Numbers 14:18). Moreover, God demonstrates His patience in every book of the Bible. Indeed, I suspect that more than ten percent of all the pages in the Bible reveal an instance in which God reveals His patience with individuals or groups. Since the word “longsuffering” is not an everyday word in my vocabulary, I had to look to the dictionary to learn if my understanding of its meaning was correct.
When we have done wrong, with mercy, God does not give us what we deserve. Merriam-Webster defines longsuffering to mean, “patient endurance of lasting offense.” Iniquity is a gross injustice or a deliberate wicked act, and a transgression is a violation of a God’s law. God’s longsuffering is an expression of His mercy and grace in the Old Testament. With mercy, He is slow to punish.
When we survey the Bible, we may be surprised by the frequency that God offers “another chance” to people who have made grave mistakes.
Since God does not change, we too may be offered another chance.
Although the Bible characterizes God as highly patient, His patience does not endure forever. He does have His limits. A time can come in which no more chances are possible.