Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. (Isaiah 30:18 ESV)
Eager
Mr. Grumm lived next door when I was a child. He was a dour-faced, gray-haired, heavily-muscled old man. And he did not seem to like anyone. He scowled at most people in the neighborhood, threw potatoes at dogs, yelled at the postman, and never answered the door at Christmas for carolers.
But Mr. Grumm gave me candy.
I do not really know why. I was as annoying a kid as any. I, too, trespassed, ignored his warnings, made fun of his gait, and threw snowballs near his precious old automobile.
But he was eager to be kind to me.
He smiled at me.
He greeted me.
And in that way, Mr. Grumm reminds me of our loving God.
God has many good reasons to be wrathful. Isaiah 30 lists not only the faults of enemy lands, but also those of troublesome Israel and even Judah, His own people.
But God is eager to be kind to them. God not only does all things for His own glory, but He acts to be merciful to His beloved people.
God is eager to be kind to us.
God favors us.
God welcomes us.
That is why God saved His people through His Son, Jesus. He wants to be merciful to us, gracious to us, and love us.
We are peculiar, God is eager to love us.