"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" - Isaiah 40:31 (NIV).
The saying "Delay is not denial" is familiar to most of us. Few people would cherish a delay- particularly when out on a journey to get somewhere important in time. It can be frustrating though when having set out full of hopes, only to find yourself held back due to some unaticipated obstacles. Of course those who are not patient enough would easily give up, perhaps full of curses for being led on an apparent wild goose chase.
When the Israelites left Egypt they were full of anticipation of reaching the land of "milk and honey" in no time. Well, it just didn't work out that way. Along the way they hit a snag and what was thought to be a walk over would ultimately take 40 years to reach the Promised land. While this might at first glance appear quite harsh, yet upon reflection the long walk through the desert was important to prune out certain impatient elements. Once when "the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain,they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him" (Exodus 32:1).
Long story short it is the very faithful who survived. And just as they were about to enter the land they had longed for, Moses, waved and brought to their attention, "I have led you forty years in the desert. Your clothes did not wear out. And your shoes did not wear out on your feet. You did not eat bread, or drink wine or strong drink, so you might know that I am the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 29:5-6). All that delay had been for a purpose to bring those who loved God closer to him!
You too might have set out on a journey with a certain time clock. Things have not moved to plan. There has been a detour down a winding path. You seem to have lost it all. Well, the truth is God never left you, at all. Has it occurred to you there was something good he was working in your life! For sometime that is what it is, until God finishes his work, the Promised land can wait.
So friend, however long it takes, stay the course. One day it will all come together.
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, through the apparent delays of life, I wait on you, for you never fail and always have a beautiful purpose for me, this I pray in Jesus's name.
