Sprints are quick and exciting races that might even take under ten seconds, like Usain Bolt who does a 100-meter dash in just 9.58 seconds. A marathon is the very opposite. It is a long 42 km race that goes back to ancient Greece, where a runner from Marathon took hours to get to Athens to report victory after one battle.

In our walk with God, we can experience sprints and also marathons. It was a sprint when Jesus went to heal Lazarus. Mary and Martha may have thought He delayed, but once He was on the scene, His word was enough for Lazarus to be raised from the dead. “When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out” (John 11:43). Even when a troubled, adulterous woman was brought before Jesus, He did not demur. Her request was for forgiveness, and it was met almost instantly. And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

But it was a marathon for Moses, who was sent to liberate the Israelites, yet he had to wait for 40 years! It was a marathon for Hannah, who desperately wanted a child, for years prayed to God until one day Eli saw and said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him” (1 Samuel 1:17).

Thus, what matters is this: there are times where our request will be met like a sprint. But there are also times which might be like a marathon. Whichever it is, God is at work. A sprint comes with instant joy and relief and has a place in our life. But a marathon also has a purpose, like instilling in us character, patience, and waiting on God. Whichever way it is, it is the same God who loves you.