Romans 2:4: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

April 27th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

This verse teaches us that God’s compassionate acts toward us in circumstances and in blessings are designed to move us from sin to repentance, to turn around and go back toward Him. The gifts we receive from God’s goodness are designed to embarrass us in our sinful states. “Repent!” has always been the message of God through His prophets to a people going their own way. And it was still the message of Jesus in Matthew 4:17, when He cried, “Repent, (come back), for the Kingdom of God is near.” Why has this message of repentance remained the same over thousands of years? Because we are prideful children who want to live our lives our own way. So today we need to stop again and carefully look at and realize the kindness and grace that God lavishes on each of us.

There is an old story of a man who went out to his garden and planted a watermelon seed and then left it, never thinking of it again. But a neighbor stopped by every day and tended to the plant, watering, fertilizing, and weeding it. When the man finally returned to his garden, he found a thriving watermelon plant. In fact, the plant produced a watermelon that was so large and healthy, the man entered it into a contest at the state fair and won first place. When the judges asked how he’d grown such a great watermelon, he said it was because of his superior gardening skills. The man in this story sounds very like us when we try to take credit for any good spiritual results in our lives. God is compassionate and good to us, yet we happily claim all the credit for spiritual fruit that comes from our lives.

“LORD, forgive us this day. You are good, kind, and so very patient with us. You alone, LORD, deserve all credit and praise.”