God's patience stands as a profound attribute, evident across countless instances where His restraint and longsuffering are displayed. Why did He not destroy satan when he rebelled, or Adam and Eve when they rejected Him in the Garden of Eden? Despite His warning that they would die on the day they ate from the forbidden tree, He allowed Adam to live for nine centuries. Ten generations later, He patiently permitted Noah to warn the wicked for 120 years before the destruction came, yet none repented. At the tower of Babel, He could have destroyed those who defied Him, but instead, He merely scattered them. With Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleaded for their sparing, and God assured him He would save the cities if just ten righteous were found. The Israelites tested His patience immensely over nearly a thousand years, yet He expressed deep sorrow at the thought of giving them up, His heart churning with sympathy. God is not willing that any should perish, showing patience beyond comprehension, though a time will come when His patience ends, and judgment must fall on the unrepentant. His power is perhaps most expressed in this patience, reining in the ability to destroy with a mere gesture, demonstrating unparalleled self-control.

God's patience stands in stark contrast to human impatience, as illustrated by the story of Abraham and the old man who did not worship God. When Abraham cast the man out into the cold night for his lack of reverence, God rebuked Abraham, saying, "I've suffered him these 80 years, although he dishonors Me every day. Couldn't you endure him one night?" This reveals God's immense forbearance, enduring dishonor far longer than human tolerance would allow. God's patience is not bound by the constraints of human time, for He inhabits eternity as its Creator and Master. He can afford to wait, unpressured by the fleeting nature of mortal life, working time to His will. While humans struggle with impatience over mere seconds or minutes, God's patience spans years, decades, centuries, and even millennia. He has waited nearly 2000 years for Christ's return, over 2500 years to bring Israel back to the promised land, and around 3500 years to fulfill promises to Abraham. He has endured humanity's pride and disobedience for nearly 6000 years, observing sin every moment, yet bearing it with a plan to overcome it. Even in the face of constant rebellion, such as the accusations and defiance of satan the devil, God's patience persists across unknowable spans of time. His plan, conceived in eternity with the One who became Christ, demonstrates His willingness to wait as long as necessary to achieve His purpose—reproducing Himself in humanity through a process that includes the sacrifice for all sins. Despite human urgency to hasten outcomes, God methodically adheres to His timeline, encompassing the Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment, and the New Heavens and New Earth, showing that 1100 years or more are but a moment to Him. God's longsuffering is evident in His dealings with Israel, enduring their repeated testing and rejection over 40 years in the wilderness despite witnessing His miracles and provision. Even after they rejected His promises and law, He pardoned them and bore their complaints and disobedience for another 38 years until that generation passed. His patience continued with their descendants for centuries more in the land, driven by His love and desire to produce children in His image. This same patience extends to His elect today, as He bears with human weakness, knowing their frame and fleshly limitations. His longsuffering is not reluctant but a loving trait, aligned with His mercy and grace, as He willingly endures to produce the character of Christ in His people. He will outlast any circumstance, no matter the grief or opposition, whether from humans, demons, or satan himself, waiting as long as needed to achieve the result He seeks—men and women in the image of Jesus Christ. God's patience calls His people to emulate Him, to adopt His perspective on time and priorities, focusing on His plan to bring them into His Kingdom. Despite human tendencies toward impatience and self-focus, His example urges forbearance with one another, bearing with weaknesses and differences in faith, as Christ did, to foster growth and unity. His enduring love and patience, if mirrored by His people, will establish their hearts for the coming of Christ.