A friend made this insightful comment during a small group discussion a few months ago: “It’s as if God’s clock almost isn’t ticking.”*

What an image! The elegant Roman numerals and ornate hands on a clock face came into focus in my mind. Then I heard the evocative tick, followed by a pause, and silence filled the resulting void. That concept has resonated with me ever since.

My husband and I know that sound well, as we’ve waited for appointments with various medical specialists. Or tests. Or procedures. Tick, pause…

Maybe you know it, too. Possibly, you’re waiting for your house to sell so you can move on with your life. Or you’re less-than-patiently waiting for ___fill in the blank____. There are countless situations where we can experience that tick, pause… And it can feel as if God’s clock almost isn’t ticking.

But God doesn’t necessarily view time the way we do. The Bible reveals His concept of time in a different light. 2 Peter 3:8b declares, “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” His clock doesn’t mirror the sound of a metronome. That predictable rhythmic tick, tick, tick doesn’t happen often, if ever. 2 Peter 3:9 continues, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” His slowness is an act of mercy.

My husband has had an ongoing health issue that is impeding the next steps in his care from proceeding. We’ve been puzzled by the surgeon’s reluctance to intervene—and, in all honesty, a bit frustrated. Tick, pause… And then, a previously undiscovered issue came to light. If the surgeon had gone ahead without understanding the full situation, and he had no reason to suspect a problem, the result could have been disastrous. The silence was God’s clock almost not ticking, for a very good reason. We are grateful for His mercy in slowing everything down.

The Bible says God is slow to anger. Psalm 103:8 reads, “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” For that, I’m grateful. How many of us can think of a time in our lives when a more reactionary God could have burned us to a crisp for something? In His mercy, He is slow to anger, and He allows us the time and space to grow and change.

We might wonder why God holds back judgment on our world, even though we see things we know greatly displease Him. Even outright evil seems to flourish unchecked in places. But God’s patience is evidence of His love and mercy. He is giving people more time to come to Him.

The next time you feel as if God’s clock is stuck, consider the underside of a tapestry. You see the knots and joins, but God sees the finished work of art from a different perspective.  And He knows why each knot is there.

I’m glad we don’t have to understand God’s ways to trust Him. So, when we experience the tick, pause… of God’s clock, let’s remember that He is loving and merciful. And He knows what He’s doing.

*Thank you, David Orr

Brenda Erb Roberts

A quick note of respect: any details I share about my husband’s health journey are done with his full permission.