"Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV)
Ok, anyone who has ever waited very impatiently for the answer to a prayer to manifest, let's gather here for our annual conference. Let's all raise our hands, move to the right side of the room, say aye. How many times have you read this bible verse to encourage yourself to wait on the Lord? How many times have you read this and asked yourself (we wouldn't ask God because we're being patient, right?) WHEN? Listen, understanding is key when it comes to applying the word of God to our situations.
In a conversation with a friend recently, we discussed at length how we can stall on how we live our lives when things don't go the way we expect. I reminisced about my desire to have been married with two children by the age of 27. In fact, I remember having a HUGE fight with my then boyfriend, whilst we were at uni, when he told me he did not want to get married until late 20s or even early 30s. THE AUDACITY! 20-year old me was not having it. I ended the relationship right then (and got back a few days later haha) because clearly we had different ideas about happily ever after and if he didn't want to get married at that age, what was the point? Fast forward 10 years and I'm writing this as a happily unmarried (well, most times 😂) 31-year old woman.
The point of the story is that I still get those niggles of doubt where I ask God why what I've asked for is taking sooooo long! Am I doing something wrong, not doing the right thing or is it just not in the stars for me? Each time, He assures me that it will happen and even though it seems to be running late, it will still be right on time because everything is for an appointed time. I don't take everything else I have for granted because whilst I might not have that one thing, there are so many other things that the Lord has blessed me with that I didn't even dream of having when I had that fight with my then boyfriend.
So the question each time I ask when I read that particular bible verse is this: How can something be delayed but not late? The answer I have found so far is the difference between when we want something and when the appointed time is for that particular thing. That distinction makes ALL the difference in the attitude we choose to adopt in the waiting period. It's not always easy to reconcile your thoughts to override your expectations for God's desires but that's why we must remain in the presence of God to see where He is leading us and choosing to have faith when things are uncertain.
My prayer for you today is that the Lord will give you a different view/perspective to see things His way. And even when we can't wrap our heads around His mystery, to have faith in His goodness.