Delay is not Denial …

I was hungry Sunday evening, so I decided to order a pizza.  I even ordered it on my way home to reduce the time I would have to wait.  When I got home, however, it seemed like this delivery took forever.  The more I thought about it, the more I thought about calling again.  Maybe they had forgotten about my order.  Maybe the delivery person got lost.  No sooner than these thoughts raced through my mind, I heard a knock at the door.  It was the delivery man with one of the best pizzas I’ve ever ordered.

Have you ever had an experience like this with God?  Have you ever needed Him immediately, and it seemed like He took His time responding?  Just imagine how Mary and Martha felt when Jesus stayed where He was two more days.  Later, they blamed Lazarus’s death on Jesus’ late arrival.  But Jesus taught them a lesson that’s still applicable to us: God’s delay is not denial.  He showed up and intervened in their circumstances as only He can!

Sometimes God does not answer our prayers when, or how, we think He should, and this often threatens our faith.  In these moments, we must remember that His Word is still true: if we wait for Him, He will renew our strength (see Isaiah 40:31).  Don’t give up on God; just hang in there until He comes.