When God Delays
Sometimes tough times seem to hit hard and last for way too long. When this happens, our hearts can begin to lose the grit needed to hang on to hope, and joy can seem just out of reach. Our focus can become consumed with “Get me out of this mess!” We can become anxious as we pine away for deliverance.
But what if we focused on what God has for us IN the mess?
James 1 :2 – 4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Trials grow us. We shouldn’t freak out and worry if God is aware or can handle the situation. Rather, we should trust that He is using the trials to mature us. But James doesn’t stop there. He tells us to have joy too! Joy doesn’t rely upon our circumstances. Don’t forget that Paul wrote Philippians, the Epistle of Joy, while chained in prison.
Isaiah 40 : 28 – 31 explains why we can have joy in difficult circumstances. We have hope because God has no beginning and no end. He created everything! He never grows tired or wears out! He understands our limits. He graciously gives us power when we are faint, strength when we are weak, the ability to keep going when we think we have nothing left in us!
When we don’t understand why God is not working to right all the wrongs in our lives, we can rest that He is in control and that He is working all things (Yes! ALL things! Even our seasons of greatest pain!) for good. (Romans 8:28) He is working to make us mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
God hasn’t forgotten us! He isn’t running late! He is working! He is refining us so that we will reflect His image (Romans 8: 29). He is giving us everything we need to run the race with integrity (Hebrews 12: 1 – 3). He is giving us the grace and wisdom to hang on tightly to our hope and joy no matter what the circumstances may try to dictate.
When it seems that God is delaying a response to our pleas, we need to take a look to see what He is up to!
Photo by Fredrik Öhlander on Unsplash
