Dealing With Divine Delays

We interview for a job that we’re sure would be a good fit, but we don’t hear  back for weeks. We’re due for a significant raise, but the company puts all raises on hold. We try to sell our house, but time passes without a qualified buyer.

Like many areas of life, stewardship often encounters delays. We may pray for God’s provision, but nothing seems to happen while we wait for an answer. Sometimes, we get discouraged – we want to believe, to wait in faith, but in the meantime we struggle to stay afloat.

God’s timing isn’t always the same as our timing. And His purposes for our stewardship don’t always match ours (or, maybe more appropriately, our purposes don’t always match His!).

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:9

In this article, we’ll review some Biblical examples of divine delays and how God used those for His glory and for the good of His people. And we’ll draw some conclusions for our own stewardship journey. Delays are inevitable, but our responses can either foster our spiritual growth or stunt it.

Divine Delays in Scripture

In speaking of the last days before Jesus’ return, Peter declared,

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

These words recall God’s revelation to Habakkuk (2:3) regarding the appointed time for a prophecy to come true. Throughout Scripture, we see many examples of what we would consider delays in God answering prayer. But we also see that God’s answers occur in His timing.

Waiting for a Son

When God called Abraham to go to Canaan, he promised Abraham descendants that would become a great nation(Genesis 12:1). He repeated this promise after Abraham’s arrival in Canaan (Genesis 13:6; 15:5). But ten years went by and Abraham was still childless. Finally, his wife Sarah suggested that he sleep with her servant in order to build a family. Abraham agreed, and Ishmael was born out of that union (Genesis 16). The family problems started before birth (and continue to this day!).

Abraham stepped outside God’s plan in this instance, and assumed that Ishmael would be his heir. The next time God repeated his promise of descendants, He indicated that the promise would be fulfilled through Sarah. Abraham questioned that possibility, based on his and Sarah’s age, and asked that God might bless Ishmael. God agreed to bless Ishmael but repeated the promise that Sarah would have a son, and this son would be the one through whom God would keep his covenant. A year later, God’s promise came true when Isaac was born (Genesis 17, 21). After Isaac’s birth, God confirmed that the covenant would run through him (Genesis 21:12).

Waiting for the Promised Land

God had promised the land of Canaan to Abraham before calling him to leave his country and his father’s household (Genesis 12:1). But this promise would take over 400 years to fulfill.

We don’t always know when delays will occur, but God let Abraham know in advance that this promise would take a while. Abraham’s descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for 400 years before God brought them out with great miracles and guided them into the Promised Land (Genesis 15:12-16). God gave Abraham a specific reason for the delay (He doesn’t always do that!) – the Amorites, whom the Israelites were to eliminate, had not yet fallen so far into sin as to warrant the judgment of destruction.

In the interim, God used Joseph to save not only Egypt but other nations as well during a great famine (Genesis 41:56-57). When the time finally arrived for Israel to be liberated, God delayed even further, hardening Pharaoh’s heart against the Israelites in order to display his own greatness (Exodus 11:9-10). In fact, it was for that purpose that God raised Pharaoh up in the first place (Exodus 9:16). The result of all of this would be that God’s name would be proclaimed in all the earth – the very purpose for which he originally blessed Abraham (Genesis 12:3).

More delays ensued. God judged the generation that left Egypt for their faithless refusal to obey his command to conquer the Promised Land. Over forty years, that entire adult generation died off as God prepared a new generation to enter the land (Numbers 14). Israel’s reputation – and God’s – preceded them into the Promised Land, so that Rahab (a resident of Jericho) testified, “The Lord Your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11).

Waiting for a Son (Again)

Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah were faithful to God, but childless. Their many prayers for a son over the years had gone unanswered. When they were both well past child-bearing years, an angel appeared to Zechariah while he was on duty in the temple and announced that they would have a son, who would prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. Like Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah had trouble believing that such a miracle could occur at their age. But God brought it about just as he had promised. And John did indeed prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry.

We see similar examples of God’s miraculous intervention after a long period of barrenness. Joseph, whom God would later use to save Egypt and surrounding countries during a widespread famine, was born to Rachel after years of ridicule from her sister. Samuel, the final judge of Israel and the one who anointed the first two kings, was born to Hannah and Elkanah after many barren years. It’s not hard to imagine that the couples were praying faithfully for years without seeing answers – until God’s timing arrived.

Waiting for Healing

We don’t know for sure how many years the man in John 9 had been blind; we know that his blindness was from birth and that he was considered an adult (John 9:1, 21). It’s not a far stretch to imagine that he and his parents had prayed for healing for many years; whether or not they were still praying at this point isn’t certain. Yet God delayed.

When Jesus came on the scene, the disciples asked whose sin caused the blindness. Jesus’ answer revealed the reason for the delay in healing: the purpose of the blindness was “so that the works of God might be displayed in him…I am the light of the world” (John 9:3-5).

God could have healed the blind man at any point in his life. But he delayed, so that his works could be revealed through Jesus. And it worked. Pharisees, onlookers, even the man’s parents were challenged with the truth of who Jesus was. The man himself became a believer (John 9:38). All of this because God delayed answering prayer.

We see a similar story in John 11 with the healing of Lazarus. Jesus delayed two days in going to see Lazarus after finding out he was sick (John 11:6). He told his disciples the reason for the delay: that they might believe (John 11:14-15). Raising Lazarus from the dead was a greater miracle than simply healing him would have been, and it resulted in many Jews believing in Jesus (John 11:45), as well as once again challenging the Pharisees with the truth (John 11:46-47).

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Handling Divine Delays

We won’t always see immediate answers to our prayers – about stewardship or anything else. In fact, we probably won’t see immediate answers to most prayers. Maybe we’re praying for a raise, a promotion, or a bonus at work; maybe we’re asking for God’s provision in a financial crisis; perhaps we’re praying for a way out of debt or a chance to make a difference through giving. Realistically, we’re going to be waiting for some time for answers to most of these prayers.

God’s Timing is Perfect…

But that doesn’t mean that God isn’t working. God’s answers to our prayers include not only what he does, but when he does it. A quick review:

• God timed the birth of Isaac in such a way that it could only have been a miracle.
• Abraham’s descendants grew into a nation inside Egypt over more than four centuries to fulfill his purposes among the Amorites and to make his name great through the showdown with Pharaoh.
• God further delayed entrance into the Promised Land to raise up a generation not enamored with Egypt and to make his name great among the nations of Canaan.
• God allowed Elizabeth, Rachel, and Hannah to be barren for many years before bringing about sons at just the right time to use them in his great purposes.
• A man born blind waited many years to be healed so that his healing could bring about not only physical sight but spiritual life, and so that Jesus could evidence God’s work in his life.
• Jesus waited two days to go to Lazarus in order to raise him up from the dead and strengthen the faith of the disciples and to prove once again his power over death, resulting in the faith of many Jews.

As we saw earlier, God is not slow in keeping his promises. What we perceive as delays, God sees simply as the working out of his will. He has a purpose not only in his answers to prayer, but in the timing of those answers.

And here’s the thing – we usually won’t know the timing of God’s answers in advance. He told Abraham about the 400-year enslavement, but didn’t tell him how long it would take for Sarah to conceive. Job had no idea how long he would suffer (or even, if it would ever end).

…But We’re Not

When we pray over our stewardship – asking God for provision, wisdom, an obedient heart, etc. – we often don’t know exactly what to ask for (Romans 8:26). Our plans may run ahead of God’s schedule – or they may not be part of his plan at all.

God’s Timing Matters

When Samuel anointed Saul king of Israel, he instructed Saul to go to Gilgal and wait for him there. Samuel would offer sacrifices when he arrived after 7 days (1 Samuel 10:8). But in the meantime, Saul’s son Jonathan attacked a Philistine outpost, and the Philistines gathered for war. Saul grew anxious and offered unauthorized sacrifices in order to secure God’s blessing for the battle and calm his troops (1 Samuel 13:1-14).

As a result, God tore Saul’s kingdom from him (verse 14). And this episode set a precedent for disobedience and treachery in Saul’s life, from the sparing of King Agag (whom God had told him to kill in battle, 1 Samuel 15) to hunting down David out of jealousy.

We might argue that we would never run ahead of God’s schedule like that. But how many times have we gone into debt to purchase something rather than praying, waiting, and giving God a chance to provide?

God’s Work May be Incremental

A faithful person will be richly blessed,

but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 28:20

God doesn’t frown on the idea of accumulating wealth. In the Parable of the Talents, the master commends those whose wise stewardship multiplied his resources (Matthew 25:14-30). But God also wants to protect us from the traps associated with attempts to “get rich quick” (see 1 Timothy 6:9). This is an extreme example, but God often works incrementally in our lives.

Maybe we’ve accumulated a significant amount of consumer debt through unwise decisions. We pray for God to provide a way out of that debt, eager to get on the road to Biblical stewardship and financial freedom, and longing for the opportunity to give generously. These desires come from God – but sometimes he has work to do in our lives in the process of getting out of debt that couldn’t be accomplished with an immediate answer.

And sometimes he sees traps that we might not be aware of. On Mount Sinai, God told Moses that he would drive out the nations of the Promised Land – but not all at once. If the Israelites drove out the inhabitants too quickly, the wild animals would overpower them. So God would drive out these nations little by little, to protect his people (Exodus 23:27-30).

In the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30), the master delays dealing with the weeds because of the potential danger to the wheat. Similarly, God may answer our prayers over time as a way of protecting us – or as a way of developing our character.

God Cares About Character

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

Sometimes, God may delay in answering our prayers because he wants to develop perseverance in us. James captures this thought, encouraging us to regard trials (including financial difficulties!) as joy because of the work God is doing in our lives. James repeats the encouragement to persevere twice (James 1:12; 5:11) and several other epistles encourage us to develop perseverance (2 Peter 3:5-6; Hebrews 10:36; 12:1; Romans 5:3). But perseverance doesn’t develop overnight – it requires time.

Other times, God may delay answering in order to teach us contentment in any circumstance, as he did Paul. Paul wrote the Philippians that he had learned the secret of being content in any and every circumstance, whether living in plenty or in need (Philippians 4:11-13). We don’t learn contentment if God answers all our prayers immediately!

Responding to Divine Delays

Sometimes, God delays answering our prayers because he’s protecting us. Sometimes it’s because He wants to do work in our lives. Other times, he may have larger purposes beyond just our individual needs in mind.

Usually, we won’t know the reason for a divine delay while we’re in the midst of it. It’s typically in looking back on it that we see God’s hand moving and begin to understand his purposes. And sometimes, we may never fully understand them – God is, after all, infinite and we’re not. We opened this article with a quote from Isaiah 55 that sums it up – God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours.

So how do we respond as we wait? We recognize God as the owner of all things and acknowledge our role as stewards. God doesn’t mind our questioning of his timing, but he doesn’t always answer those questions. He calls us to respond in faith, contentment, gratitude, and perseverance.

What might this look like in practice? It might be…

• Waiting to save up for something rather than putting it on credit, and giving God a chance to provide in the interim;
• Avoiding “too good to be true” promises of quick financial gains;
• Holding back on that large purchase until we’re more financially stable;
• Postponing a vacation until we’ve established an Emergency Savings fund.

Or any number of other things. And we remember that our real hope is in God, not in the things he provides or the timing of that provision.

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