Divine Delays

DIVINE DELAYS

By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient” - 2 Peter 3:9 NIV

I was thinking this morning about how many times Jesus was in the middle of something and was interrupted.  His life was riddled with discouragements, distractions and delays.  Yet through it all, He trusted the Father to keep Him on time.

On the surface, these occurrences may simply look like annoyances, but scripture reveals that these bumps in the road can be strategic and serve to usher in displays of God’s power, blessing and protection.  The healing of Jairus’ daughter, the woman healed of the issue of blood and the resurrection of Lazarus—each came as a result of an interruption.  Without interruptions, many miracles would disappear from the pages of our Bibles.

Detours and delays don’t take God by surprise.  They are intentionally woven into the fabric of our lives, and can be pivotal for keeping us on time for important connections, and to prevent us from stepping into the path of danger.  How many people were spared on 9-11, because an annoying delay caused them to be late for work?  Obstacles can be a blessing, if they protect us from harm, or cause us to divert our course toward something better.

Beloved, have your plans been interrupted, detoured or delayed?  Could the Lord be protecting you or redirecting you toward greater blessing?

Faithful Father, our preconceived ideas about how and when You will answer our prayers cause us to become discouraged when Your plan does not match ours.  Thank You for the comfort of scripture that reveals how You incorporate slow downs into life, specifically to keep us on time for our divine appointments and to spare us from harm.

Lord, heal our eyes to view delays with joyful expectation. Help us to trust in Your goodness and timing, and to believe You will work it out for our good.  And when circumstances force us to unexpectedly pause, may we count it as a blessing and rest in the waiting.  In Jesus’ Name ❤️

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