Delays Are Not Denials
In Psalm 13 David is at the end of his tether. He’s tried a knot at the end of his rope and is holding on for dear life. Samuel the prophet had long since announced him king over Israel but years have passed and still the rejected Saul occupies the throne. He’s crowned but has had no coronation. David is in exile. Saul is determined to kill him. David is tired and weary. He’s living in caves and dens. He really can’t take much more of this. He’s physically tired, emotionally drained and spiritually weary. But in God’s planning for us, ‘delays are not denials’
But let me begin by saying something that seems like a contradiction. ‘We are not very good with delays, but we are good at delaying’
We are not very good when we are the ones facing delays. Our flight is delayed, the scan results are delayed, the baby’s due date is long since passed, that cheque you were promised is still in the post. But we are good at delaying. We put off making that call to the dentist for another week, that hall and stairs that needs painting can wait a few more days, the garden will do next month, that diet will wait until after the holiday.
However, when it comes to our spiritual life then delays can become a big issue. We think God has forgotten us, our prayers go seemingly unanswered, and our hope gets deferred, our fears are compounded, and then we feel like the Psalmist. All of us face delays, times when the answer we want or expect takes a long time to materialise. It may be a sickness that lingers, a financial situation that shows no sign of ending, or a family problem that has been going on for years, despite your prayers for a breakthrough. But it’s in those delays that we are tested. Our patience is tested.
David’s patience was at breaking point. Years had passed and things had got worse not better. Saul had no intention of giving up his throne and God didn’t seem to be doing anything about it. Psalm 13:1 “How long O Lord? Will You forget me forever?” It’s when our patience is tested that we are apt to make mistakes. Abram & Sarai got impatient when God delayed the birth of their son of promise. Hagar and Ishmael were the tragic result of their impatience, and the world has paid the price ever since.
Our temperament is tested. Do we become resentful, angry, critical, sullen, sad, complaining? How does it affect our mood, our attitude towards others and especially towards God? Notice David in the first three verses asks the same question over and over again, four times in fact, how long, how long, how long, how long? Everything seems to be drag on when there’s no sign of a resolution. We say time flies when you’re enjoying yourself but it’s an eternity when you’re miserable. A week on a diet is not the same as a week in Florida.
Psalm 13:2 (NIV) “How long will must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?
Delays cause us to wrestle with our thoughts. Delays make us anxious. Delays make us feel our enemy is too powerful, our problem too great. God gives us promises but He’s not obligated to give us explanations. His delays for us are temporary, but His plans for us are eternal.
While David waited on his coronation, God worked on his character. Delays are not denials.
- Pastor David Goudy