The God Who Waits: Delayed Judgment and Undeserved Mercy

Primary Scripture Reading (KJV):

Nahum 1:3 KJV 1900

3 The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked: The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Luke 13:8–9 KJV 1900

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Introduction:

We talk a lot about sudden miracles—but we don’t talk enough about the mercy of delay.

God is not only the God who acts… He’s the God who waits.

He waits when He could judge. He waits when we could fall. He waits—not because He is weak, but because He is merciful.

“God’s delay is not God’s denial—it is Heaven’s final invitation to turn.”

There are seasons where God steps back—not to abandon, but to allow time for repentance, restoration, and fruit.

I. The Nature of God’s Mercy: Slow to Anger, Rich in Patience

Nahum 1:3 reveals the balance:

“The Lord is slow to anger… and will not at all acquit the wicked.”

In Hebrew, “slow to anger” literally means “long of nostrils”—He restrains wrath the way we hold back deep breaths.

God isn’t quick-tempered like man. He gives space, time, and opportunity.

“He delays the sentence so the soul can be saved.”

II. The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6–9)

Jesus tells of a fig tree with no fruit. The Master wants it cut down.

But the dresser says:

“Let it alone this year also…”

One more year. One more season. One more chance.

Notice:

He doesn’t just wait—he digs.

He doesn’t just give time—he invests effort.

“Mercy doesn’t mean passivity—it means divine patience with divine pursuit.”

This is a picture of Jesus interceding for us… saying to the Father,

“Wait—I’ll work with them. I’ll break the hard ground. I’ll feed the roots. Let Me try again.”

III. Why God Waits

1. To Give Room for Repentance

“The Lord is… not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” —2 Peter 3:9

He could’ve judged Nineveh in Jonah 1—but He sent a prophet instead.

2. To Reveal What’s in the Heart

“And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years… to prove thee.” —Deuteronomy 8:2

Delay exposes the real you—what you believe, what you desire, what you fear.

3. To Build Endurance, Not Entitlement

“Let patience have her perfect work…” —James 1:4

The wait isn’t wasted. It’s working something in you—depth, humility, reliance.

IV. Delayed Judgment Is Still Judgment

“And if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.” —Luke 13:9

Mercy does not cancel judgment—it delays it.

Every delay has a deadline.

God gave Jezebel space to repent (Revelation 2:21), and she did not. The axe came.

He gave the days of Noah 120 years of preaching—then came the flood.

“If the mercy of God doesn’t move you to repentance, the justice of God will.”

V. Our Response to the Waiting God

1. Respond to the Digging

God may be disrupting your comfort, exposing your roots, breaking the hard soil. It’s His mercy.

“If He’s still digging, He’s still hoping.”

2. Bear Fruit Quickly

Don’t waste your “one more year.”

Bear fruit in:

Repentance

Holiness

Love

Forgiveness

Obedience

3. Show Others the Same Mercy

Be patient with people who are slow to grow.

“Freely ye have received, freely give.” —Matthew 10:8

Prophetic Word:

“To the one who is dry, barren, and feels unworthy—He’s not cutting you down. He’s digging around you. The wait wasn’t punishment; it was protection. The delay wasn’t denial; it was divine mercy in disguise. Bear fruit. This is your year.”

Altar Call:

Know they’ve been in delay and haven’t yielded.

Have mistaken God’s silence for His approval.

Need to receive God’s mercy and respond in obedience.

Declare: “The wait is your window. The digging is His mercy. Let this be the year of fruit.”

Closing Quote:

“Mercy delays the axe—not because God is blind to our sin, but because He is deeply invested in our restoration.”—Robert Young