“A man’s heart plans his way, but
the Lord directs his steps.”—Proverbs 16:9
No one likes to wait, but have you
ever wondered why? It is because delays
show us that we are not in control.
Someone or something else is behind the scenes calling the shots. Although we may be able to identify the
immediate cause—like an airplane or train delays, traffic light or the long
lines to checkout in a grocery store—ultimately the One who controls all our
delays is the Lord. Since He is
sovereign over everything in heaven and on earth, even our time and schedules
are in His hands.
What this means is, that in every
delay we are actually waiting for God in one way or another. You might have thought that the expression “waiting upon the Lord” applies only to
seeking guidance from Him or an answer to prayer. But it can mean so much more when you
remember that He controls all your day-to-day inconveniences and frustrations.
Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, was very
sick so his sisters sent word to Jesus.
When Jesus got the word, He said that he would not die from this
sickness and delayed going to his bedside.
When Jesus told his disciples that He was going to Lazarus’ house, they
did not want him to go because the Jews were trying to kill Him, and thought
that Lazarus would recover. However,
Jesus plainly told them that he was dead.
When Jesus arrived, he discovered that Lazarus had been dead for four
days. Lazarus’ sisters were very upset
and said that if Jesus would have been there he would not have died. Likewise, the people who were with the sisters
said that if Jesus’ had been there He could have kept Lazarus from dying. Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus,
but not when the people who loved and surrounded him thought that he should
have been (John 11:1-44).
Prayer—Father
I thank you that delays are no surprise to you help me be patience and remember
Your sovereignty in every area of my life, in Jesus Name. Amen.
