When God Delays

Dear Friends, 

When God Delays

I don't know anyone who enjoys or finds it easy to have to wait. We live in a culture where we expect everything to be instant. Whatever we want, we want it immediately. We enjoy instant coffee. We send a text message and receive a reply within seconds. We email someone, knowing they will receive it immediately we press 'send'.

Yet, in God's Kingdom, much of our lives may be spent waiting. It was true for the men and women of faith in the Bible. And it's true for us too.

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16 (NLT)

As I said, we too are waiting. Paul writes about it in his letter to the Philippians:

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. Philippians 3:20 (NLT)

I trust in God's Word, but sometimes it can be so frustrating to wait when it seems like there is a delay on God's part. There are some things that I have been waiting for, for two or three years, in other things I've been waiting for more than ten years. At times I've found it easy to wait and to live in faith believing that God will do what he has said. But other times I find I'm struggling with the waiting.

I was in one of those seasons not so long back. I was frustrated and discouraged. A part of me was trying to cling on with faith to God's promises, another part of me felt that was it was never going to happen. Surely God would have done something by now? Hasn't the time passed me by? Hasn't the window of opportunity closed?

It's when I feel that way, that I turn to God once again. Who else would I or could I go to when I'm frustrated and discouraged over his seeming delays? God is so gracious to me. Rather than giving up on me, he meets me in my frustration and discouragement. 

When I turned to him, he reassured me once more with his Word. This is what God gave me:

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)

A few days later he gave me the following verses, not just once, but twice!

Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. Romans 4:20-21 (NIV)

God was bringing comfort to my soul, he was encouraging me to keep my confident trust in him, to believe that he has the power to do all he has promised and he strengthened me in my faith. His Word gave me renewed hope. He reminded me that he is with me and he cares about me.

The truth is, that whilst it may seem like God is delaying his answer, he does not delay. To delay would mean that he is not in control of the situation. Trains are delayed because of leaves on the line, or something else that is outside of their control. Parcels can be delayed in being delivered, they can get lost in the system. You may be delayed in a supermarket as you queue to pay for your shopping. All kinds of things can happen to cause delays in our lives. 

Yet God is never delayed. He is Sovereign and he is in complete control. His timing is always perfect. I can trust in him and his timing. I can have faith in him that although it may seem or feel as though there is a delay on God's part because I want to see the answer now, God never, ever delays. He will show up right on time, not a moment too soon or a moment too late. I can have confidence in this. If I am feeling like there is a delay, it's because God wants to do something in me in the meantime. He is preparing me and preparing the circumstances surrounding me.

God reminded me of his perfect timing in Genesis 18:14 when he said to Abraham, "Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” (NIV)

And also when God said "For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

    it speaks of the end
    and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
    it will certainly come    and will not delay." Habakkuk 2:3   (NIV)

I don't know what it is that you may be waiting for. I don't know how long you've been waiting. I don't know exactly how you're feeling about God's seeming delay. I don't know if you're resting in the waiting or fighting against the waiting. But my hope is that you may have been encouraged today by some or all of the scriptures I've shared with you. They have certainly encouraged me to keep believing in what God has said. They have reassured me that God will not delay, he will act at the appointed time. Will you keep believing too? Will you keep trusting in God, even though everything else seems to be pointing to the contrary?

This is part of the synchroblog on waiting, to celebrate the release of Those Who Wait: Finding God in Disappointment, Doubt and Delay by Tanya Marlow – out now. See more here and link up to the synchroblog here.

To Think About:

What is it you are waiting for? How has the waiting season been for you? What emotions have you felt as you've had to wait? Is there anything that helps you as you wait?

Are you able to trust in God's perfect timing? Do you think there may be something that God wants to teach you during what seems like a delay on his part?

Do any of the above verses give you reassurance and strengthen your trust in God? Do you find hope within these verses? If so, why not write the verse(s) out and place them where you can refer to them again and again.

Vicki

If  what you read was of interest to you, then you may like to know that my book "Dear Friend...52 Weekly Devotions to Encourage, Challenge and Inspire" is available to buy from Amazon. (Its content is material adapted from previous blog posts.) To learn more, click on the link below:

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