In Isaiah
18, it appears that the whole world is set to battle God’s people. Yet what is
the response of the Almighty One? “I will take My rest, and I will look from My
dwelling place” (v.4). His stillness may appear to have been an acceptance of
the conspiracy against them. But it wasn’t. God’s response was His reminder
that He acts in His timing—at just the right time according to His will.
I think
of Jesus waiting 4 days while Lazarus lay in the grave (John 11:39). Was He
unaware? Did He not care? Of course He cared! He was waiting for the right time
to act and to teach the lessons He wanted to teach.
The Bible
records God’s “delays,” many of which seem at the time to be inexplicable from
our point of view. Yet every delay flows from the depths of His wisdom and
love. If nothing else, delay, if we accept it, can produce the quieter
virtues—humility, patience, endurance, and persistence—qualities that are often
the last to be learned.
Are you in distress? Does the Lord seem distant and detached? He is not indifferent to your plight, nor is He unmoved by your pleas. He is waiting while His purposes are achieved. Then, at the right moment, He will intercede. God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time.
