We’ve all experienced delay in our life. Whether it is a delayed flight, a delayed surgery, a delayed answer. Sometimes delays are merely an inconvenience and at other times may feel brutally slow and lingering.

I was sitting outside on my deck yesterday reading my Bible and praying and sensed the Lord saying, “I will not delay.” This felt timely in light of feeling slightly overwhelmed with sickness amongst other difficult things.

I was reminded of the parable of the persistent widow, so turned to Luke 18:1-8. This parable has often made me smile to myself because it’s so direct. There is a woman who will not give up on her request to a judge. The word persistent means, “continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition” over a prolonged period. The judge finally gives into the widow’s request because she kept “bothering him.” Jesus’s explanation of the parable is to pray and not lose heart.

“And {Jesus} told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Just as the widow was faithful and persistent to go before the judge continually, so should we remain in our prayers - despite what we see. The part that vividly stood out to me was that God will not delay in His response. It says He will bring it speedily. The Greek word can also be translated “in haste”, “quickly”, or “shortly.”

This led me to several other passages which are important. You see, we tend to see things on our time frame, rather than God’s. But the wait is important.

Hebrews 10:35-37 says, “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith.”

For context, the early Jewish Christians were facing intense persecution. The author of Hebrews was encouraging them to remain steadfast. He reminded them that they endured persecution in the past, their current persecution will not last forever, and Jesus will come to make all things right.

We must not throw away our confidence when we cannot yet see the end result. Everything is for a purpose, especially our endurance - which grows our faith. We see the promise once again that the Lord will not delay. We must fully trust in this promise, continuing in our faith. This passage quotes from Habakkuk 2:2-4 which is one of my favorite passages. I have it underlined in my Bible and remind myself of it often. It reads,

“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay… but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

Although this was a direct message to the prophet Habakkuk for the nation of Judah at a specific time, the character of God and the message still rings true. His character is unchanging. When answers seem slow, we must wait. I love the definition of the word for wait here, which means to “long for” or “linger in expectation.” Wow, friends. We must be expectant. God will not delay. The word for delay here means it will not “be behind” or “put off” - but will come in the appointed time. And we have our affirmation again, the righteous live by faith.

Things may feel brutally slow at times. But we must always remember as mentioned above that God’s timing is not ours. God exists outside of time. In fact, He knows our prayers before we ever pray them because He has already gone before us. The answers are already established. We are reminded in both Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8-9, “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it past” and “that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

And finally, another of my favorites, “And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:15

When we are praying according to the heart and will of God, the victory is already ours. Have patience friends - the Lord will not delay. His promises to us are yes and amen.

We can surely trust in Him. And friends, He is good to those who wait.

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

Delays.

First Day of School

In the In-between.