328. HOPE IS NOT LOST AND DELAY IS NOT DENIAL

(The Single Woman Series – Batch 5)

As Christians, we need to learn that every good thing which God opts to give must be in his own good timing, him being the all-wise and sovereign God. We cannot rush it and we cannot make him do anything before he has planned.

This means that we must exercise patience and wait with a good attitude, even when we feel like we’ve waited ages already and we grow weary of the wait.

Waiting with no change and for prolonged periods, as we’ve seen in different accounts in the Bible, does not necessarily mean that God will never change our story. It may therefore be difficult, as I can certainly attest (my having to wait on more than one occasion for employment and still having to wait on a spouse) but who can tell whether the tide will change? God may still show up and intervene to turn things completely around in our lives, in such a way that he blows the minds of those looking on (including us) and He gets the glory.

In the Bible, for example:

MARY and MARTHA’S hopes were dashed.

They had hoped and expected that the Lord would have come earlier,

When their brother Lazarus, though very ill, had still been alive.

BUT He opted to come after he had died, had been put away and rotting for four days!

YET hope had not been lost and Jesus’ delay had not been denial,

Though it had certainly seemed so at the time.

Jesus showed up in his own divine timing and miraculously raised Lazarus from the dead.

Mary, no doubt feeling downcast because her brother had already departed, had declared when Jesus came, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”

YET Jesus had told his disciples, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” He also told Mary, “Thy brother shall rise again…I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

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ABRAHAM AND SARAH’S hopes were dashed.

They had hoped and expected that the Lord would grant them a child sooner,

When they were young and it had not yet ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

BUT when they were old and stricken in years, that is when God intervened

AND THEY REALIZED that their hope had not been lost and his delay had not been denial,

Though it had certainly seemed so at the time.

God showed up at the time he had appointed and miraculously caused Sarah to conceive of Abraham and to bring forth a son.

Sarah, finding the news to be incredulous, had laughed within herself, saying, “After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”

YET God told Abraham, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

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JOSEPH‘s hope was dashed.

He had hoped and expected that the Lord would help him quicker,

When he was in prison and had interpreted the dreams of the Chief Butler and Chief Baker.

BUT God only orchestrated his release after two full years had passed since this incident.

YET hope had not been lost and God’s delay had not been denial,

Though it had certainly seemed so at that time.

God showed up in his own divine timing and miraculously promoted Joseph from lowly prisoner to the second in command over all of Egypt.

Joseph’s brothers, casting scorn on his dreams of promotion, had once said, “Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him…and we shall see what will become of his dreams.”

Yet, the Word of God states that years later, “Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

(Written on 02nd April, 2024)