FBC Daily Devotional – January 26, 2022

Faith Baptist Church

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:06

Well, a good morning to you on this Wednesday, this middle -of -the -week time. I hope your week has been going well for you thus far, and you are learning some things from God's Word as you read it on your own and meditate on it, think about it.

00:21

Did you read in Romans chapter 2 today? I came across this one particular verse in verse 4 that talks about the riches of God's goodness and his forbearance and his long -suffering.

00:35

The riches of his goodness, forbearance, and long -suffering. Let's think about those three expressions of God's riches toward us.

00:49

The riches of his goodness. I think that would have to do with just the blessings, the common blessings of life, of the provisions of life.

01:01

Think about the riches of our nation, for example, the wealthiest nation on the planet.

01:10

The United States has been called. And we do have a rich history, and it has been replete with the riches of God's goodness from its founding, really.

01:22

If you've ever read about some of the miraculous ways that the colonial forces won in the

01:33

Revolutionary War at the founding of this nation. And then the creation of the documents of our founding fathers, the

01:41

Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and so forth. These are amazing documents. And we've just been so richly blessed with the form of government and the form of our economy that has allowed for the prosperity of the vast majority of our people, especially in comparison with the rest of the world.

02:05

These are expressions of the riches of God's goodness to people.

02:12

But also the riches of his forbearance. That would mean his putting up with that which offends him.

02:25

And then the riches of his long -suffering, that he suffers long with those things.

02:33

And indeed he has put up with a lot. What do we do with that?

02:42

What do we do with that? I mean, think of it in your own life personally. Think about how you personally have experienced the riches of God's goodness.

02:54

And then think about how, let's face it, we all fail

03:01

God in so many ways. Even though we're children of God and we love him, we want to serve him, we don't measure up.

03:12

We come short of the glory of God, even as the redeemed people of God. And yet, every time you sin, every time you fail, does

03:24

God beat you up? Does he send some great punishment your way and beat you down?

03:31

Does he do that? No, no. Those are wonderful expressions of his forbearance.

03:39

And he's long -suffering, long -suffering and patient with us. He just keeps picking us back up as we fall down again and he picks us back up and so forth.

03:52

Well, what do we do with that? I suggest there are two possible ways to respond to it.

03:59

One of them is what often happens and probably the most common response to the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and long -suffering.

04:11

And that is we presume upon it. We say, oh well, God will overlook this.

04:17

If there's a God out there, he won't pay any attention to this, he won't notice.

04:23

Because after all, look at all I'm enjoying anyway. And after all,

04:28

I've done this kind of stuff before and nothing's ever happened to me before. He hasn't beat me over the head with a baseball bat or anything like that, so I can just keep going down this path.

04:37

That's called presumption. That's called presumption. And probably the majority of mankind responds to the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and long -suffering with presumption.

04:55

But it should lead us to repentance. This is the point of the verse, of verse four.

05:02

Do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance and long -suffering?

05:08

Do you despise it, take it for granted, treat it as something of not much worth?

05:13

Not knowing, he goes on to say, that the goodness of God leads you to repentance.

05:20

When you stop and think about all that God has gifted you with, should not that lead you to repentance?

05:27

That you have not responded to his goodness and kindness and his love and his favor with obedience and reverence and worship, like you should?

05:39

And his forbearance. Yes, you have failed again. What do you do?

05:45

Oh well, shrug your shoulders and go on and then fail again. No, it should lead you to repentance.

05:51

God, you have, I deserve your wrath. I deserve your punishment.

05:57

But you have been gracious to me. You have been forbearing with me. You have put up with me long and hard.

06:04

Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Yes, the riches of God's goodness and forbearance and long -suffering should lead us to repentance.

06:15

And I trust that it does. I trust that it shall. Don't be a pagan that looks at the riches of these things from God and presume upon them as if they will always be there for you, because they won't.

06:34

Our Father and our God, I pray that you would give us the gift of repentance. You give us these rich gifts of your goodness and forbearance and long -suffering that are intended and designed to lead us to repentance.

06:46

May we follow. May we follow to that end, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name and for his sake.

06:53

Amen. All right. Well, have a good rest of your Wednesday, and I trust