Divine Delay

Are you, sometimes, grateful to GOD that He did not answer the instant that you prayed about it?

Well, I have learned to do so personally.

 

“And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife” (Genesis 16:2-3).

 

The New Passport

 

Getting a new passport that accommodated my new name was not easy. I was told, that I had to register in the Ugandan gazette and attach a copy of my deed poll. It would have been a lot easier, if the registration in the gazette was free but it was not! They mentioned, a certain amount of money that I did not have. Therefore, I rested my case; after all, I had no plans to travel then.

 

In fact, the years sped by and I did not give it much thought, but that there was a certain ‘delay’. Now, in the four years after that, the National Identification process began and, before long, I was in possession of my national ID, complete with my new name. Now, the delay because of lack of money was divine because I later found out that I did not need to register in the Ugandan gazette! I figured that it was because my name had already been captured in the system. In other words, I did not have to suffer the cost of that registration – one costly step had been gotten rid of! I only had to pay a smaller amount of money to acquire a new passport!

In short, GOD allowed financial lack in my life so that I would not spend on something that I did not have to spend on!

 

The ATM Card

 

They could not seem to get it right! For that reason, I had lost my patience with them and only the grace of GOD sustained me there. They had failed to give me the ATM card that I had applied for and paid for, close to a year ago! Therefore, whenever I needed to carry out any banking activity, I had to spend time and money to visit the Banking Hall! As if that was not enough, I was charged a certain fee every time that I made any transaction over the counter! Consequently, I began to plot my exit from the Bank!

 

As if someone had read my mind, the Bank sent me a text message telling me about E-Banking. Soon enough, I was transacting my financial activities using my phone! Finally, all my initial banking challenges were ‘resolved’!

 

As I completed my most recent ‘E-transaction’ without ‘moving an inch’, and at no cost too, I realized that that delay was divine! GOD had allowed it to happen, so that He could give me something much better at the lowest cost!

 

Our Daily Lives

 

Now, I cannot fail to compare this to our daily lives. As we make our requests known to GOD, our answers seem to take long. Therefore, we turn to ‘Hagar’ because we are tired of waiting! In fact, it seems as if GOD is not doing anything about it, only to be surprised by an even better solution that will not cost us much!

 

When we seem to be making no progress, GOD is working on something that will make us forget the agony of waiting. In fact, we shall see the reason behind the wait and will be glad that we had to wait.

 

Therefore, before you lose heart and choose Hagar, remember that some delays are divine and that your solution is just around the corner!

 

PRAYER

 

Dear GOD, I now know that the delay that I face is, sometimes, divine. Therefore, I ask you to give me the insight to always be aware of this and to be patient while I wait.

 

I thank you, LORD, because you have done it. In Jesus’ name, I have prayed, amen.