"The Patience of God"

"At the brightness that was before Him His thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire." (Psalms 18:12) I actually like the New King James version of this verse, which reads, "From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire". It just makes more sense, and is easier to read than the original King James; however, I am still fond of the way the King James makes the point of God's patience more based upon His brightness, then upon His judgement. This is splitting hairs, but it is also making a point of how the attributes which make up God's character and sovereignty can be viewed in several different ways, depending upon those that interpret what is being said. The "brightness" that is being spoken of is God's splendour; it is the glory that surrounds our Glorious God. It is my understanding that His glorious splendour is what shines forth His radiant light and majesty; from which, His patience is made manifest by the brightness of His glory. If you were to look up the meaning of 'glory' in the Greek, it has a distinct rational property that speaks about opinion, as in thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion. The "hailstones and coals of fire" speak of God's judgement and His anger; something that I believe God does no hastily put forth, because His character of love supersedes His wrath. In other words; our God is a God of Love; who by the mere brightness of His splendor, all that is not right and just before Him is melted away; leaving in its place, His judgement and His wrath. The love of God is the primary radiance that is revealed; but the wrath of God is the ashes that are left behind, (if that makes any sense to anyone out there). I think a good example of God's patience is given us both before and after the verses shared yesterday about the buried treasure and the pearl of great price. Before those verses, Jesus speaks about the 'wheat and the tares'; after those verses, He speaks about 'the large fish net that is cast into the sea and gathers fish of every kind'. Both of these parables speak about God's patience, and how He does not want to uproot those that are wicked from among His children, least He uproot some of His children also in the process. Instead, He shall wait until after the final trumpet has sounded, and then He will have those that are wicked be separated from those that are His. Between these two parables is given the key to what separates those that are His and those that are not...Those that are His, are His because they love Him...