Expect Delays!

There is more to come: we continue to shout our praise even when we are hemmed in with troubles because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for what God will do next! Romans 5:3-4 The Message

It never seems to fail that every time I have to be somewhere at a certain time, things just don’t go as planned. Lately, the thing that has caused me the most frustration is road construction. The “improvements” on Johnson Ferry Road have resulted in many unexpected delays, and I especially love it when I round a curve only to see the signs that announce, “Lane closed ahead” and “Expect delays” It seems that some warning before the actual closure would be helpful!

This happening caused me to ponder the nonsensical verbage we use in our daily lives. For instance, why do we call the morning commute to work and the evening commute home, “Rush Hour”? It’s interesting to think of “rushing” through traffic when no lane is open and nothing is moving!

Just like road crews who put up “Expect Delays” signs, sometimes we all feel that God has put that same sign out for us in our lives. You will “expect delays.” For some reason, February has always been the month our family dreads because in hindsight, we remember so many “delays” or frustrations that are associated with it. It seems the shortest month of the year should be the easiest, but nothing ever happens as we expect! The good news is that so far, the delays have been followed by unexpected blessings.

There are three things I try to remember always but especially during this month! First, Jesus never said that following Him would be easy. When we attempt great things for God, it just seems that we can expect delays and even difficulties. Sometimes delays help us to develop and mature. Sometimes delays enlarge our capacity for receiving and strengthening our committment. Think of Abraham and Sarah, for instance, they had to wait twenty five years for Isaac to be born, so why should we think our answers should be instant?

Next, we have to persevere in order to receive. It is so hard for us to patiently wait because we are accustomed to having everything we want instantly. We just google it or use an app on our phone to speed things up, but we can’t use a shortcut when it comes to perseverance. God needs us to push through the pain to get to the gain on the other side. Keep on asking.

Finally, the end result of our faith during our delays is inheritiing a larger territory. The children of Israel had to wait forty years before entering the Promised Land. Although their faith was tested, God delayed the entrance, but He never denied the request. God uses time to qualify us for His best blessings.

As we remain persistent in prayer even when we are dealing with delays, it’s only a little while before we realize that our breakthroughs, healings, and miracles are on the way! Trust God’s timing!

Prayer:

Today I declare that all obstacles in my life are not fighting against just me, but they are going aginst the God of the universe who gave me my life mission and purpose. With this truth, I will continue to move forward with boldness and anticipation knowing that with you on my side, God, I have the majority and nothing can stop me from seeing Your vision come to pass in my life. Thank you, Jesus, that my freedom is here, that my moment is now, and blessings are upon me. Amen (copied)