Odedeyi Emmanuel

If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare and service I will wait, till my change and release shall come. Job 14:14 (AMP)

Before you read any further, let me put it straight to you from the very start; Have you ever felt as if God is slow? Have you ever waited on Him to the point where it seems He may never show up again? Have you ever wondered why it really takes time before God answers your prayers? Have you ever felt lonely, rejected or depressed? If you have answered an unqualified YES to any of these, then this note is for you.

There are times in our lives when all we want is just an answer as simple as YES or NO or even HOLD ON. But what happens when neither of these responses come and shame stares us in the face because people are eagerly expecting us to say something. Let me break it down to you;

Imagine a young man who after 5 – 10 years of completing high school keeps sitting for University entrance examinations without an admission.

If this same guy eventually gets admission and escapes ASUU axe after turning a 4-year course to 7years, he graduates and then goes through the one year “forced labour” of NYSC only to find out that he still needs to struggle for (x) no of years before he gets a meagre-paying job that can only pay his bills, if it can sustain him at all.

On the other side of the coin, imagine a lady who is really good looking and has a nice job to match, but wouldn’t just find the right guy after many years of prayers and waiting. And age is not helping too.

To push a little further, if this lady eventually gets married and then needs to still wait for a few years to have a child..

A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 2 Peter 3: 8(NLT)

The scenarios above may look far-fetched but I tell you that it describes what someone somewhere has or is presently going through. But if indeed a year is like a thousand with God, then what we may claim to have been waiting to get for 10 years (our time) literarily has only been delayed for about 24minutes (His time). So how long have you been waiting on Him? Have you waited for an hour? Jesus told His disciples, Can’t you even watch with me for at least an hour?

Truth about God’s “seeming” Silence;

1. Our Sins
Listen! The Lord is not too weak to save you, and he is not becoming deaf. He can hear you when you call. But there is a problem—your sins have cut you off from God. Because of your sin, he has turned away and will not listen anymore. Isaiah 59:1- 2(NLT)
One of the major reasons why God may not respond to our call is our sinful nature. Even when Christ was on the cross He cried, My father, why hast thou forsaken me? This was because at this time Jesus was bearing our sins and God’s eyes are too pure to look at sin. So, when He refuses to speak, it may be as a result of our sins. And as you may know that sin includes all forms of disobedience. Or shall we continue in sin and ask that grace would continue? God forbid!

God will not give you a new instruction until you have obeyed the last one!

2. Our Impatience
Many are too busy talking. God does not talk when you are busy murmuring and complaining about everything. Even when we are not living in sin, we may be too desperate at times that we tend to brand God as slow. But read this, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake..” 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT)

God is not slow but He is actually exercising patience because of you. Why? He knows that if He gives you that thing now, you may not be able to properly manage it as much as you think you can. So, he gives more time to watch you mature. Personally, there are issues I thought I could handle so well about 5 years ago, but now with more insight I know I would have fumbled if I had ventured into them with my pre-mature knowledge 5 years earlier.

God is too responsible to mismanage your lives.

3. Our Ingratitude
We quickly forget past victories and deliverances He has wrought. One of the best things to do after checking through of the first two above and have cleared ourselves is to give thanks. Thanksgiving and praises makes God does fearful things.
Waiting on God is not the same as Wasting away.

Is yours admission, thank him that you even have a good result that can be considered for admission in the first place. I wrote my WAEC exams thrice because I couldn’t just pass Maths at my first two attempts but today I’m a Chartered Accountant and a lecturer at that.

Are you a jobseeker, thank God for seeing you through school in the first place because many didn’t survive what you went through, some dropped out, others fell off.

Are you a guy or a lady who is not yet married and you’ve wondering if God still answers prayers, thank God first that you are “marriageable”. Many are deformed or are in such state of ill-health that their only prayer is to be healthy first. Thank God for not being insane!

I can go on and on but I will rather let you THINK so that you can THANK.

When next it seems to you as if God is silent, be assured that He is right at work to give you your heart desires because if He neither slumbers nor sleep, then He must be busy working things out for you.
Smile!

Shall we pray;

Lord, give me a heart of gratitude to trust you even when it seems you are silent. Amen.