I have always enjoyed reading through the Bible each year. Sometimes I’ve done so chronologically, other times straight through as a book. Though I may not always understand all that I have read, I can truly say that I am constantly learning new things about God each time I read, and His word has never failed to sustain me.

This past year (2024) I read through the Bible chronologically, using a program which I highly recommend, called The Bible Recap. This program included a short podcast summarizing the daily reading for that day. The combination of the daily Bible reading along with listening to the podcast helped to shine the spotlight on a character of God that perhaps other times I have either missed, overlooked, or did not recognize. The characteristic that was clearly revealed to me this time around was the kindness of God.

While reading through the Bible, there were so many occasions in which the kindness of God became evident to me, too many to name. The more chapters I read, the more of God’s kindness I saw. I will attempt to highlight a few.

Kindness to Abraham and Sarah

In Genesis, we read the familiar story of Abraham and Sarah, declaring God’s promise to give them a son and to make Abraham the father of many nations through that son.  However, when it appears to Abraham and Sarah that their age is perhaps hindering God’s promise to take place, they decide to “help him out” by forcing their maidservant, Hagar, to sleep with Abraham so that they can bear a son through her.

As was anticipated, Hagar becomes pregnant, but unfortunately her pregnancy causes more tension than joy, especially between Hagar and Sarah. In fact, Sarah treated Hagar so harshly that Hagar left her home and fled to the desert. There, alone and abandoned, she is seen by God. Genesis 16:11 says, “An angel of the Lord found her and said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction.” The angel of the Lord also promised to multiply her offspring. Hagar entitled God with a beautiful name that day: EL ROI, the God who Sees. Genesis 16:13 says, “So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing’, for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.’” Hagar experienced the kindness of God just by the mere fact she was seen by him.

Kindness to Job

Another great example of God’s kindness can be found in the story of Job, but not where most would conclude. In this book, we read that Job, a man of extreme wealth, loses everything that he owns, including his ten children. We also read a conversation between Job and his friends, who had come to Job to “encourage” him. Job’s friends started out rather well but ended up stating things about God that made him seem cruel and even merciless.

In the final chapters of the book, the voice of the Lord is heard, and he basically rebukes both Job and his friends. His rebuke to Job is done through a series of questions, such as, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4) and “Have you commanded the morning since your days began and caused the dawn to know its place?”. (Job 38:12) Unmistakably, God was reminding Job of who he is by declaring his power in creation and his sovereignty over all the earth. God’s reminder to Job brought Job to repentance. And as we know, God restored to Job all that he had lost with a double portion. For the most part, that has always been the focus and where we see God’s kindness.

But what I observed for what seemed like the first time, was the kindness that God showed to Job’s friends, who spoke quite harshly of him. In the final verses of the book, after God had finished speaking to Job, he commanded Job’s friends to offer a sacrifice for what they had done. He said, “Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” Job 42:8

This revealed to me yet another instance of God’s kindness. Job’s wealth was not the only thing that was restored, God also restored relationships! He restored the relationship between Job and his friends, and more importantly, their relationship with himself.  Job’s friends undeservedly received the kindness of God.

Kindness at the Pool of Bethesda

The final example I will mention, found in John chapter five, took place at the Pool of Bethesda. A man who was unable to walk had been lying there for thirty-eight years. Apparently, the pool when stirred, was supposedly a place of hope for invalids. We read that because he could never make it into the water when stirred, he was left hopeless instead of hopeful. However, Jesus met him in his hopelessness, and he gives the lame man the thing that he thought was impossible. John 5:8-9 says it this way: ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” ⁹And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.  The first place he wants to go is the temple. Clearly, the temple was a place that was off limits to him for almost forty years because, as an invalid, he was considered unclean. But Jesus, in his kindness, not only heals him, but declares him clean so that he too can go to the temple and worship God. Of all the people that were probably around the Pool that day, God’s kindness, through Jesus, was shown to the lame man who had perhaps been there the longest.

Hidden in Plain Sight

There are so many more beautiful examples of God’s kindness throughout the Bible that were “hidden in plain sight”! Right from the beginning God’s kindness shows up in the beautiful things he created for us to enjoy – food, flora, fauna, fellowship – and the list goes on. His kindness appears through the many ways in which he cared for his people, even when they walked away from him and served idols instead. In his kindness, God provided for them, protected them, won battles for them, and gave them leaders in the form of judges, kings, and prophets. In the past, I have only seen these things as God being sovereign, totally missing that His sovereignty, along with all of his other attributes, all reveal his kindness. In fact, I have come to realize that even in his judgment, God is showing kindness!

Since this truth has been revealed to me, I now recognize his kindness in everything. It truly has overwhelmed me! First, and most importantly, I see his kindness in the plan of salvation! Titus 3:4-7 says it best:

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. (NLT)

And not only in salvation is his kindness revealed, which certainly would have been enough, but I now recognize the kindness of God in my daily living. My family, my friends, my church, my job, my home and so much more – all of these blessings make up a beautiful illustration of the kindness of God.

God’s Character Revealed in His Word

I have always known that God is love and his mercies are new every morning, but I’ve just never realized that God is also incredibly kind. This is one of the many reasons that reading the word is essential in our daily living. It enables us to not only discover the wonderment of God, but it will also inspire us to love and trust him more.

I encourage you to always be in the word, for it is there that God reveals his character, his nature, and how he relates to us. I also urge you to take some time to reflect on what he reveals to you so that you can thank him for doing so and share the truth with others.

Psalm 119:105 – Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Psalm 119:130 – The unfolding of your word gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.