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DELAYS ARE NOT DENIALS
Dads know that children rank the words not yet as nearly the most awful in the English language, second only to the word no. How children hate to hear the answer, “Not yet.” When the all-knowing, all-wise, loving heavenly Father deems it best to say, “Not yet,” what is our mature adult response? Often, if we are honest, we say, “But God, you don’t understand. I want it now.”
Imagine the great urgency with which Mary and Martha, the sisters of dying Lazarus, sent word to Jesus: “Lord, the one you love is sick” (John 11:3). But Jesus purposely delayed his coming. This was God’s way of saying, “Not yet.” Was he callous about their pain? Hardly. About a week later, Jesus stood at Lazarus’s tomb and wept. He identified with their pain.
Mary and Martha were hurt and frustrated that Jesus had not responded to their request earlier. But Jesus wanted to do something greater than heal a sick man. He wanted to raise a dead man to life.
We catch a glimpse of Jesus’ understanding of prayer in this episode of his life. When we pray according to God’s Word, we are praying what Jesus would have prayed.
When we pray, usually a gap exists between our request and the answer. We must remember that God’s delays are not necessarily God’s denials. Timing is very important to God. A request may be in God’s will but not in his timing.
God has reasons for not answering our prayers at the moment. Sometimes the best answer we can receive is, “Not yet.”
Lord, help me to accept this “not yet” in my life . . .
Dads know that children rank the words not yet as nearly the most awful in the English language, second only to the word no. How children hate to hear the answer, “Not yet.” When the all-knowing, all-wise, loving heavenly Father deems it best to say, “Not yet,” what is our mature adult response? Often, if we are honest, we say, “But God, you don’t understand. I want it now.”
Imagine the great urgency with which Mary and Martha, the sisters of dying Lazarus, sent word to Jesus: “Lord, the one you love is sick” (John 11:3). But Jesus purposely delayed his coming. This was God’s way of saying, “Not yet.” Was he callous about their pain? Hardly. About a week later, Jesus stood at Lazarus’s tomb and wept. He identified with their pain.
Mary and Martha were hurt and frustrated that Jesus had not responded to their request earlier. But Jesus wanted to do something greater than heal a sick man. He wanted to raise a dead man to life.
We catch a glimpse of Jesus’ understanding of prayer in this episode of his life. When we pray according to God’s Word, we are praying what Jesus would have prayed.
When we pray, usually a gap exists between our request and the answer. We must remember that God’s delays are not necessarily God’s denials. Timing is very important to God. A request may be in God’s will but not in his timing.
God has reasons for not answering our prayers at the moment. Sometimes the best answer we can receive is, “Not yet.”
Lord, help me to accept this “not yet” in my life . . .
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This is a 21 day extract of the Once-A-Day Devotional for Men for everyday inspiration, with 365 daily readings created specifically for men. Using devotions from Livingstone, the group who produced the Life Application Study Bible, these daily devotions will open your eyes to everything God wants you to be as his son, and guide and encourage you for an entire year.
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We would like to thank Zondervan for providing this devotional. For more information, please visit: www.facebook.com/OnceADayBible
