God doesn't always work that way, and He has a great reason for it.
I was listening to the radio the other day and briefly heard the DJ talking about a blog he had read. The author of the blog offered something to think about:
Let's say you have a friend who is always on time for every lunch date with you. He or she is the epitome of punctuality. Then one day, after years of arriving on time, he/she is late. What are your thoughts? Are you worried? Do you fear something happened? Or do you get angry and disgusted with that person?
More than likely you are worried and would probably try calling them. You wouldn't dare be angry at a dear friend who doesn't show up on your time? Hmm.... but isn't that what we do to God when He doesn't "show up" on OUR time or immediately when we call out to Him?
When YOUR plans fall through or take an abrupt turn You weren't planning for, do you cry out in anger and doubt, or do you patiently wait on His timing? More often than I'd like to admit, the latter doesn't occur nearly as often as it should in my response to trials in my own life.
Suzanne Scheppmann relates this to Old Faithful.
Jesus loves us, but that doesn't always translate to Him responding in faithfulness to our time schedule. The geyser, Old Faithful, demonstrates this truth to us. The park guide explained that after the earthquakes in 1959, 1983, and 1998, the average length between the geyser's eruptions increased. Where it once was about 76 minutes, it is now approximately 90 minutes between eruptions. Just like Old Faithful, I have found that as God increases my faith, He sometimes increases the time between my "earthquake" and His rescue. If and when a longer time span does occur between crisis and aid, it allows me to anticipate and depend on His yet unseen faithfulness."
Check out the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11:1-45. Jesus' friends called out to Him when their brother was dying to heal him. He didn't go immediately, as they hoped He would have, but instead, he waited 2 days before He even began on the journey to Bethany. Upon His arrival, He was greeted with words like, "If only you would have been here sooner...", instead of "Thank you!" They were disappointed because He did not show up on their time. They were unable to see what God could see. All they could see was that Lazarus had already died. He went with Lazarus' sisters to the burial site, where a crowd had gathered. He, after weeping, raises Lazarus from the dead, at which the people are overjoyed and BELIEVED when they saw God at work!
When our earthquakes hit, God might delay. Maybe the delay is to grow our faith. Maybe the delay is so others can see God's glory. In either case, His timing is always perfect.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging...
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:1-3, 10
That passage from Psalms is one of my favorites!!!
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