When God Takes Too Long
How we respond to God when He is seemingly taking longer to respond, act, or deliver us out of a tough situation is a barometer of our faith. A barometer is used to measure atmospheric pressure and forecasting the weather.
I’m not sure about you, but I love when there is a clear expectation laid out for me. I like to know exactly what is coming, and I’m fine with weathering a storm if I know what to expect.
What if God told you it would rain for 40 days, but in actuality it rained for 40 days, but took a total of 365 days until life was back to normal? That’s exactly what happened with Noah.
The flood in the book of Genesis was the first natural disaster and the only catastrophic event that affected the world as a whole. Before the flood there was no rain. So when God says to Noah, “it’s going to rain”, I’m imagining that Noah gave God a blank stare. “Rain?”
Nevertheless, even though Noah might not have grasped what was coming, to got to work being obedient in doing what God told him to do: Build an ark.
His actions were in line with what he believed: What God says is true.
The favor of God comes when His seemingly delay doesn’t result in our despair, but the eyes of our faith are locked on His goodness
I find it interesting that we never read about the personal opinions of Noah or his family while they are locked up in the ark. Did they take games on board to pass the time? With every roll of the wave, were the adult children asking “are we there yet”? Did his wife get hangry, seasick, or flat out irritated with the smell of urine floating up through the floorboards from the animals below? No amount of cleaning can protect from that smell.
If God says “I’m going to let it rain for 40 days”, I would have expected to burst the door open, spread my arms into the fresh, open air and jump down off the boat at day 40. Again, that’s not what happened.
Trust is resting in Who He is, when His timing doesn’t align with our plan.
While it may have appeared that God was slow in delivering them out of this catastrophic situation, He was actually in the process of saving them.
What you assume is God’s delay in delivering you, may actually be His saving you from drowning in your own will.
Water needed to subside, seep into the earth, and there needed to be dry land. Moses patience in waiting for the Word of the Lord to allow him to exit the boat resulted in the protection and deliverance for Him and His entire family.
No matter how long it takes or seems to take: He is always, always, faithful.
