The Slowness of God

By |Published On: January 5, 2012|Categories: News|

A friend just sent me this photo of a California bristlecone pine – over 2000 years old, it has patiently weathered the wind and the wet, thunder and lightning. It shows signs of the battering, but it’s twisting trunk and up-stretched branches only add to its bruised beauty. It made me think of this quote I read by Fredrick Faber…

“In the spiritual life God chooses to try our patience first of all by His slowness. He is slow: we are swift and precipitate. It is because we are but for a time, and He has been for eternity. Thus grace, for the most part, acts slowly. He works little by little. Sweetly and strongly He compasses His ends, but with a slowness which tires our faith because it is so great a mystery. We must fasten upon this attribute of God in our growth in holiness. There is something greatly overawing in the extreme slowness of God. Let it overshadow our souls, but let it not disquiet them. We must wait for God, long, meekly, in the wind and wet, in the thunder and the lightning, in the cold and the dark. Wait, and He will come. He never comes to those who do not wait. He does not go their road. When He comes, go with Him, but go slowly, fall a little behind; when he quickens His pace, be sure of it, before you quicken yours. But when He slackens, slacken at once: and do not be slow only, but silent, very silent, for He is God.” If you were blessed by this quote, check out the others on Joni’s Corner!

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