Introduction
• ‘Delay' means ‘having a promise about something good, but not seeing the answer yet'. Examples are ‘prayers still unanswered', ‘prophecies received but unfulfilled yet', etc.
• ‘To deal with' here means ‘to manage a delay successfully'. It can also mean ‘to cope well with a delay successfully'.
• We have all experienced the pain of delay or disappointment in one way or another. It's definitely not a good feeling if we've received a great promise, but we're still waiting and waiting for it to come to pass!
What to do during the delay?
There are 6 steps to deal with delay:-
• The need for patience
• Remember, you're not alone!
• Do something good while waiting
• Ask God to show you a lesson from this
• There must be a reason!
• The delay will finally come to an end
The need for patience
Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22).
Patience is therefore one of God's very own nature and characteristics.
• Patience is the ability to wait without murmuring and complaining, or the ability to wait without trying to make things happen by our own flesh.
Then God brought Abram outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5 NKJV).
At the age of 75, Abraham received the above promise. At that time, he and Sarah (his aging wife) were childless.
• Humanly speaking, they were hopeless to bear children at such age.
• Thus, Sarah suggested that Abraham lie with her maidservant, Hagar in order to bear a child (see Genesis 16:1-4).
• He did. Ishmael was born (see Genesis 16:15).
• But some 13 years later, God told Sarah that she's going to conceive and give birth to the true heir, the promised son (see Genesis 17:16).
• She did. Isaac was born (see Genesis 21:1-5).
• Ishmael's birth was a result of Abraham's impatience. Isaac's birth was the result of God honoring His promise in Genesis 15:5.
• When we are impatient and try to nudge the arm of God, we will find grief (see Genesis 21:8-14).
Remember, you're not alone!
All those people described in Hebrews 11 had one thing in common, i.e. they had to cope with delay, and keep believing on what they've hoped for. Welcome to the ‘big league' and ‘hall of fame' of all those faith people, friends!
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him (James 1:12 NKJV).
God put Moses on the far side of the desert for 40 years. Why? To get him ready for a great deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt.
• Moses did try to do it in his own strength by killing an Egyptian 40 years ago (see Exodus 2:11-14). But he ended up having to run away.
• Even Moses needed to wait for God's right timing.
Do something good while waiting
Don't wallow in self-pity and sulk when you're delayed.
• While you wait, you can do something. Waiting on God doesn't mean you do nothing!
• In fact, often ‘between the times', you can really do something productive.
• Paul & Silas had been put in jail because Paul cast a demon out of a slave girl who brought much profit to her masters in fortune-telling.
But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison… (Acts 16:19, 23a NKJV).
What did Paul and Silas do while waiting?
• They went into worship, prayed and sang praises to God (see Acts 16:25).
• It was productive! As a result, there was earthquake at the prison, and Paul even led the jailer to Christ! (see Acts 16:26, 31-34).
• So while we wait, we can worship. And while we wait, we can continue to witness for Christ, share His love, care for others, etc.
Ask God to show you a lesson from this
Joseph had to learn to forgive before God could entrust him with success.
• Joseph was given prophetic dreams that indicated his 11 brothers would bow down to him (see Genesis 37:5-9).
• The wrong manner and timing of him sharing the dreams led him to be sold as a slave in Egypt.
• He learned to forgive.
• God saw a change of heart in Joseph.
• Eventually, after 22 years of waiting, Joseph had his dream fulfilled!
There must be a reason!
Learn to still thank God even when your answer tarries.
• The better we know God, the more we're willing to wait without complaining. God's timing is perfect. God knows what He's doing.
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11 NKJV).
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28 NKJV).
Trust in His wisdom and timing.
• When Job lost everything and was in great physical pain, he had no promise whatsoever that his trials would ever end!
• But God had a reason for everything. Job had to repent and come to terms with his own self-righteousness before God blessed him double-fold! (see Job 42:6)
And the Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10 NKJV).
The delay will finally come to an end
Every trial has its time limit.
Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4 NKJV).
God is never too late or too early. He's always just on time!
But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13b NKJV). |