“Ah, sword of the LORD! How long till you are quiet? Put yourself into your scabbard; rest and be still!” (Jeremiah 47:6, ESV)

I am amazed at how patient God is. Sometimes this troubles me. Why does He wait so long to judge the wicked? Why does He let them get away with so much before stopping them? But then I think how longsuffering He has been with me, and I am thankful that He is slow to anger, merciful and gracious. Of course, Peter addresses this issue.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9, NKJV)

God waits to be gracious. He gives people time and opportunity to repent. Judgment is His strange work (Isaiah 28:21 KJV). But in His time He does judge and makes no apology for it.

The danger for all of us is that God’s patience can be misinterpreted. Because we are not feeling the effects of judgment we deceive ourselves into thinking that God doesn’t know, doesn’t care, or approves of our behavior. But the litmus test is not if we “get away with it” but if our actions conform to God’s word.

The Philistines deserved the sword of the LORD (and so do we). It ultimately came against them, destroying their cities. Fortunately for us, Jesus Christ took the sword of the LORD in our place. He received God’s holy punishment against sin so that we could be forgiven. For those who have repented of their sins and believed in Jesus Christ, the sword is put away and is quiet. We can rest and be still knowing that the sword of God’s judgment is quieted by the blood of Christ.

Have you quieted your own heart knowing that heaven’s claim against you has been fully satisfied through the cross? The sword of judgment has been replaced by the sharp two-edged sword of the Word, which convicts, corrects, counsels and comforts. Believe the promise, rest and be still in the Lord!