Delays happen. Delay is defined as postponing until a later time; defer, to cause to be later or slower than expected or desired. Our focus scripture is Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.”
I have been hearing the Lord say ‘Stop making excuses; stop procrastinating, stop playing the blame game. Only I know your times and seasons and only I can bring those things I promised to pass.’ If this is for you, SHEMA (Listen and obey).
You did everything right; you prayed, you decreed, you listened to the voice of the Father and yet, delays happened. We often think that delays in our spiritual life are from the enemy, and sometimes it is the enemy. Daniel had been praying faithfully and yet the answers to his prayers were delayed by demonic forces (Daniel 10:11-13). Other times, it is God who has placed roadblocks in our path and caused the delay. Abraham and Sarah wanted children. God had told them they would have a child; however, no child came. This promised gift was delayed. In Genesis 15, God spoke to Abram and promised him a son. Yet, 25 years passed before Isaac was born (Genesis 21). When we see delays in our life the very first thing we should do is pray. We need to be able to discern if the delay is from our enemy or from God.
Sometimes we choose not to pray and we take matters into our own hands. Taking matters away from God and trying to do things ourselves will lead to disaster. Let’s take a look at what Sarah did to help God. She decided to help God out by telling Abraham to have a child through Hagar (Genesis 16:1-3).
Repeat after me: God Does Not Need Your Help to Bring His Promises to Pass!
The fulfillment of God’s promise is reliant on God’s plan, not our plan. Yet, God was merciful, and even though Abraham and Sarah tried to do things their own way (we all do sometimes), the promised child arrived in due season. We must trust that God knows the times and seasons of our lives (Ecclesiastes 3; Galatians 6:9).
We must learn to handle the delays in our life. This is how we develop patience. Moses waited 80 years, Noah waited 120 years, and Abraham waited 25 years. How long should you wait for God’s promise? As long as it takes. Psalm 27:14 reminds us to “Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.” Do not allow Delays to derail or destroy you or your promise. Stand firm in your faith in God. You can be confident of this. He will complete the work He started (Philippians 1:6).
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