God’s Riches
	What comes to your mind when I say the word “rich”? Most often we connect “rich” with money! But there are other applications. Your garden may have rich soil (I wish mine did)! Or you might eat only a small portion of dessert because it is so rich.
	When we speak of being rich, we usually imply at least two things. First, there is an abundance of something. Perhaps it is an abundance of dollars or other forms of material wealth. If you have more material wealth than I do, then you are rich! Of the garden soil has an abundance of nutrients. That delicious dessert has an abundance of fat and sugar, so we say it is rich.
	But second, we imply that there is some need for the qualities that make someone or something rich. We find dollars to be useful – we can purchase food and other things we need for day-to-day living. The nutrients in rich soil benefit the plants that grow there; by extension, they benefit us when we eat the fruit or enjoy the appearance of those plants. And we enjoy the taste of the rich food; to a lesser degree, we might even benefit from the calories, assuming we exercise self control and keep the portion moderate.
	Did you know God is rich? Yes, we know He created the universe, so ultimately everything is His, which makes Him infinitely rich. But God is rich in ways that go far beyond the material. In Romans 2:4, Paul asked: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” Scripture mentions other ways that God is “rich,” but let’s focus right now on the three items in Romans 2:4.
	First is God’s goodness. This word has to do with moral goodness, goodness of heart. It is frequently translated “kindness,” and has to do with being gracious and not seeking to harm us. The fact that God is rich in it tells us that he has an abundance of goodness or kindness. And that’s something to rejoice about, because we need for Him to be kind, good, and gracious toward us in our weakness and sinfulness. As Paul wrote in Romans 2:4, we ought not to “despise” the riches of God’s goodness. To despise something is to act as though it means nothing to you. If you gave your child an expensive present, and the child glanced at it, sniffed, and tossed it into the trash, that would be despising your gift. Rather than despising God’s goodness, Paul says we ought to appreciate it so much that we repent of our sins and be good like He is.
	Then we have God’s forbearance. This word has to do w/ toleration. It literally means to “hold up,” such as you would do for someone who is weak and is about to fall. Fortunately for us, God isn’t just a little bit forbearing – He is rich in forbearance. Obviously we need that because we have times of weakness and times when we fall.
	Finally, there is God’s longsuffering – that is, His patience and endurance. W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of NT Words says this about longsuffering: “Longsuffering is that quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish; it is the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy.” Both you and I know that sometimes our attitudes and actions are such as provoke the Lord! We definitely need the longsuffering of God, and we are fortunate that He is rich in longsuffering.
	In weeks to come, we’ll consider some other areas in which God is rich. For now, let us heed Paul’s words in Romans 2:4, and not despise the riches of God’s goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering. God’s goodness leads us to repentance.