One of the challenges with Christianity is that God has a history of moving slowly. It's been that way from the beginning...
- His chosen people were in captivity in Israel for years.
- His chosen people wandered in the wilderness... for years.
- There were years of where no prophet spoke before Jesus came.
Even after Jesus was crucified on the cross over 2000 years ago, His disciples believed he was coming back soon.
Sadly, we live in a country where people want thing NOW! And if it doesn't happen, we get distracted, we lose hope, we struggle with our faith.
So, what are we expected to do when God delays? Continue to trust!
Let's look at the Book of Daniel for a moment.
- Israel goes into Babylonian captivity
- Chapter 1 - Daniel and his friends are faithful in honoring God with their diet and are rewarded almost immediately
- Chapter 2 - The next year the king has a dream, and God gives Daniel the interpretation
- Chapter 3 - The king misinterprets the dream, throws Daniels friends in a furnace - God intervenes
- Chapter 4 - The king has a dream, and God gives Daniel the interpretation
- Chapter 5 - God sends the king a message, and God gives Daniel the interpretation
- Chapter 6 - Daniel is persecuted for praying and sent to the lions den. God delivers
- Chapter 7 - Yet and still another king, Israel still in captivity, God gives Daniel a dream and the interpretation
- Chapter 8 - 3 years later, God gives Daniel another dream and interpretation
- Chapter 9 - Daniel prays and an angel comes to discuss his prayer
- Chapter 10 - The delay
Let's discuss the delay for a moment. Through all the kings and the years of captivity God has spoken with Daniel and shown himself faithful almost immediately. In chapter 10, nothing happens for 3 weeks!
3 weeks may seem like a short time, but when you are used to seeing God move miraculously, 3 weeks can seem like forever.
What does Daniel do? He continues in prayer and fasting.
There are many reasons why prayers are delayed. I am not going to be so presumptuous as to claim to know the mind of God. But here is what I know:
- God has a plan
- God has a timing
- Our job is to be faithful
What do we do in the meantime?
- We pray - pray that we remain in Gods will
- We pray - that there is repentance and a turn towards God
- We pray - that God's will is done
- We show love and compassion to those around us
Let's put Christianity in action and allow hold fast to the things that we know are true, even when times are difficult.
