THE KINDNESS OF GOD

HOW DOES GOD SHOW HIS KINDNESS?

God first show His kindness by giving us salvation: (Titus 3:1-6) “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For us we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness of the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly.” The kindness, love and mercy of God to men was poured on us abundantly that for us believers, we may imitate that good character of our God to our families, neighbors, friends an even to our enemies. These virtues should be shown to all men and especially to non-believers as a point of attraction to them who are still under the influence of the devil. Putting in mind that we ourselves were also just like them and not to justify ourselves as the virtues are received by the grace of God and not by our own righteousness which we might think we acquired by.

God has by all means and by all ways showed His kindness by being faithful to His promises: (Isa. 54:7-8) “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer.” With everlasting kindness God will show mercy as He is a covenant keeping God. See also (Exod. 32:13) “Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Your servants to whom you swore by Your own self, and said to them, “I will multiply Your decedents as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants and they shall inherit it forever.”

God our Father shows His kindness by watching over us: (Job 10:10-12) “He does great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. If He goes by me, I do not see Him; He moves past, I do not perceive Him; if he takes away, who can hinder him? Who can say to Him, “What are You doing?”  God does great things past finding out, and wonders without end which no human being can comprehend; just like a hen, takes care and covers her chicks, the same manner God is always concerned about our everyday lives.

God shows us kindness by being compassionate to us: (Gen 32: 7-10) “And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside so quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “this is your god, O Israel that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have this people and indeed it is a stiff-naked people! Now therefore let Me alone, that My heart may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.”  The lord saw the manner of sacrifice and the worship His people turned into within a short period of time and he never consumed them in His anger. He did harken to the voice of His servant Moses and He relented. “So the Lord relented from harm which He said He would do to His people.”

He again show us His kindness by providing for our needs: (Gen. 32:9-10) “Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, “Return to your country, and to your family and I will deal well with you’: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; For I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies.” The Lord God of providence did provide abundantly for His servant Jacob. As he crossed over the Jordan, it was only himself and the staff on his hand. And as he came back after twenty years of service, he was great many army of his household. He is as well the God of the living and of the dead (Ruth 2:20) “Then Naomi said to her daughter –in-law, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.” Ruth found favor in the sight of Boaz and he did show her kindness.  See also (Hosea 11:3-4) “I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and feed them.” Though the children of Israel did not obey the Lord their God, in walking in His ways and follow His statutes and His commandments, yet He showed them love and kindness by feeding them.  The God of providence to the People of Lystra (Acts 14:17) “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful season, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Apostle Paul admonishes to the people to return from their wicked ways and turn to the God of the providence.

 God shows His kindness by helping us in various life situations: (Gen. 39:21) “So it was, when his master heard the word which his wife spoke to him saying, “Your servant did to me in this manner,” that his anger was aroused. Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined.  And he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doings. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.” For years Joseph had been confined in irons in Pharaoh’s prison. He had been despised and rejected by his brothers, had been misrepresented, falsely accused by his master’s wife that caused him to be confined. Many a times he felt alone.  Yet in all this time God who had tested him had also prepared him for the next experience. God favored him in the sight of the prison keeper who committed into his hand all the prisoners. Because Joseph trusted in his God, God in turn kept him, protected him and preserved him making him prosperous in whatever he did. God never left him nor forsook him in his entire life situation and challenges that he went through, but also made away out for him. God had given him a moral wisdom which helped him discern what is good. And the good thing which he had acknowledged enthroned him to the peak of his destiny making him reign, rule and sit with kings.

See also (Ezra 9:5-9, 13) “At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God. And I said; “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens. Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilty, and for our iniquities we, our kings and our priest have been delivered in the hands of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation as it is this day. And now for a little while grace has been shown, from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage. For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to build it ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem. And after all this has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great quilt, since you our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this.”

When we have to suffer tribulations, afflictions, distress, persecution, famine or war, we can be assured of God’s presence and our ability to conquer through Him who loves us. Therefore, we must and believe that the God of all the earth will do right and that all things do work together for good to those who love God,” who are called according to His purpose” (Rom.8:28).

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”