The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner. However, one day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion. “What’s the trouble, Mr. Brooks?” he asked. Brooks responded, “The trouble is that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!” (Our Daily Bread)
Being in a hurry has never been a problem for God. Moses was 80 years old when he stood before Pharaoh and said, “Let my people go,” and he suffered these people 40 years in the wilderness. No doubt, Jesus could have begun his ministry earlier but waited until He was about 30. The Gospel of John could have been of great value to the church in its infancy, but it was not written until 60 years after the crucifixion.
The same has been true throughout history. Missionaries William Carey and Adoniram Judson traveled to the other side of the world and both had to wait 7 years before they saw their first converts. In western Africa, it was 14 years before one convert was received into the Christian church; in New Zealand, it took 9 years; and in Tahiti, 16 years. How did these missionaries feel through these dry years?
We live in a society that has adopted instant gratification in many areas. God, apparently, has no appetite for instant gratification.
In John chapter 11, we read the account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Jesus received the news that his friend Lazarus was sick, and here is how John describes His response: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, . . .”
That’s easy for us to understand because we know the end of the story. But what about Mary and Martha and Lazarus? How did they feel? Lying on his bed in a fever, Lazarus may have had every confidence that Jesus could heal him. But as he approached death’s door, he must have doubted. Mary, so devoted to the Lord, must have wondered why Jesus was not coming. She would have gone out at the road again and again awaiting his arrival while Martha busied herself looking after the patient, all the time wondering.
But Jesus did not come, and Lazarus died. There were the funeral arrangements, the mourning, the words of comfort from the rabbi and family and friends, and finally the funeral itself—and the wondering: Where is Jesus?
Then He came, and He had to endure their disappointment, and maybe their anger. As they took Him to the tomb, everyone was weeping, and Jesus wept with them.
He had not come earlier because He had an amazing miracle in mind. Can we wait in a time of sickness or need, knowing that He may have a miracle in mind for us?
Prayer: Lord, when I am in need, help me to wait for Your answer in Your time. Let me not be in a hurry, but help me give You the opportunity to get greater glory for Yourself.
Author: Lindsay Hislop was raised in southern Scotland and southern Ontario and now lives in the southern United States. He worked in the engineering field for 15 years (mostly in Canada) before pursuing an academic career. He has taught for over thirty years at Columbia International University. He also serves as an elder in his church, where he teaches and preaches regularly. He is married to a wonderful wife Pam and has two terrific children, Holly, who lives in Canada, and Doug, who lives in Columbia. His four grandchildren, Isaac, Madeline, Lindsay, and Dolan, are also pretty special. He likes doing carpentry and odd jobs around the house.
