Slow to Chide / David Jeremiah

 

Slow to Chide    For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:14 Most believers live with a sense of sanctified dissatisfaction. We want to emulate the emotions, attitudes, reactions, and habits of Christ. We long to perfectly please Him. But we’re not perfect, nor will we be until we get to heaven. This holy dissatisfaction should evermore prompt us toward greater personal holiness. But we must also realize God knows all about our imperfections, and He isn’t surprised when we fail.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 103: 11 – 14

The great hymn, “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” by Henry Lyte has a wonderful phrase to encourage us. The second stanza says: “Praise Him for His grace and favor to our fathers in distress! Praise Him still the same for ever, slow to chide, and swift to bless!” Whenever you stumble or fall, confess your sin quickly and ask for God’s help in the future. We should keep growing. But don’t keep beating yourself up over forgiven sin. Remember—He knows our frame, that we are dust. But in His wondrous grace, He is slow to chide and swift to bless.   Fatherlike He tends and spares us; well our feeble frame He knows. In His hands He gently bears us, rescues us from all our foes. Henry Lyte