He is never late

“If you had been here, my brother would not have died”. These were the words of Martha the sister of Lazarus to Jesus when Jesus arrived to their home four days after receiving news that Lazarus His friend was unwell. Lazarus had fallen unwell and his loving sisters having known that Jesus, their friend, had the power to heal decided to send word to Him so that he could come and heal him. However, Jesus was ‘late’ and by the time He got to their home, Lazarus was already dead. Because of this, Martha must have been frustrated because their ‘powerful friend’ who had the ability to heal had ‘failed’ to show up on time to come and heal their brother and these words must have been an expression of her frustration.

I believe that this kind of frustration is sometimes so common to us. We have a God who we believe is powerful and we know that He is able to do what we ask if we ask in the name of Jesus. We even believe that when we ask for bread He can never stone but will always give bread. We always have this in mind, but the how patient are we in our prayers? There are those things that we need desperately and we know that only God can give them to us but sometimes when He seems to take ‘forever’, we get so frustrated. This frustration can sometimes cause us to feel like God doesn’t really care or like He is not true to His word.

I know that there are people who have prayed for a long time for things but until today, the Lord has not answered their prayers. I know of others that God has even given them promises through His word and sometimes these promises seem to be taking so long to be answered. I know also of others who have the faith to hold on to the promises but the people around them sometimes tell them things that make them want to doubt God’s promises over their lives. I write to encourage you today.

The word of God in John 11:1-37 explains to us how Jesus received the news of Lazarus’ illness and how by the time He got to him (to Lazarus), he was already dead. Though the Bible records that Jesus loved Lazarus, He did not show up immediately. Why? The bible tells us that it was so that God would be glorified. Martha and others in this passage had understood Jesus as one who had the ability to just heal. For God to be glorified, I believe it was for Him to let them see that He also had power over the death.

How many times have you looked at your ‘delayed’ answers this way? That the delay is a way of God glorifying Himself through you? So many times in our prayers we have asked God to use us to bring glory to His name, which is always right to ask for so because God says that we are His vessels and that He created us for His glory. It is very easy to pray so but we fail to realize that in such times of ‘delayed’ answers it is always for the glory of God. I mean, think about Abraham who had to wait for 25 years after marrying Sarah to have a son? Who would have waited that long to receive something? Yet, God remained faithful and through that He gloried Himself through Abraham.

God honors His promises to us; he also answers prayers though not according to our timelines, He will always answer them. But sometimes we need to understand that as a way for Him to be glorified such ‘delays’ may occur, yet He His always on time. Our ways are not His ways, therefore as we pray, we need to believe that He is able to answer when He desires and that all this is for His glory and for our good. Why do I say for our good? Because it increases our faith in Him and helps us to see Him in a mightier way and understand Him more and this deepens our understanding for Him and our relationship with Him. So though His promises to you or your answers seem to take so long, just hold on. He is never late in fulfilling our desires.

God bless you!