Have you ever asked God for direction or provision for something that seemed to be according to His will, but His answer didn’t appear timely?
That’s
happened several times to me. I’ve thought God directed me to do something, but
then things seemed to fall apart or didn’t resolve in the way or timing I
expected. With the adoption of James and Sarah, God miraculously connected us
with them. However, the process was delayed and quite frustrating. Various
people seemed to step up or appeal for them. Looking back, we can see how God
received greater glory through all the delays! He made it more and more clear
He intended us to adopt and that He was in control to bring it about.
God’s
seeming delay is always for His purposes and His glory. As with the raising of
Lazarus, Jesus delayed for God’s glory and the benefit of his disciples.
John
11:1, 3-6, 14-15 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of
Mary and her sister Martha… 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one
you love is sick." 4When he heard this, Jesus said,
"This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that
God's Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved
Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that
Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days…
14So then he told them [disciples]
plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I
was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
Can
you think back over your past situations and see how God received greater glory
and grew your faith through seeming delays? Let’s remember that as we face new
situations that don’t seem to be working out in the timing we think is best.
