Divine Delays — E.A. Johnston

Trusting God Through Desperate Delays

Have you ever had a time in your life friend? Where you were in a jam and you couldn't get out and you didn't know what to do but to pray and ask God for intervention and deliverance and you pray desperately and continually with Opportunity and you were coming close to a deadline that had to be met and God did not show up when you wanted them To and you asked yourself why and you cried in your heart Where is the God of Elijah?

A Personal Experience of God's Delayed Provision

I was in a desperate time this week and plumb out of money and resources. Well, what do you do? Do you doubt God's care over you? No friends that thought comes from the devil but what you do is stand on the promises of God and stay on your knees and Pray to him in the process and praise him in the distress that he will receive glory from it.

Spent all day looking for God to show up and meet my great necessity and need. It was 530 in the afternoon and no help had yet come and all I could do was to look to him and stay on my God. It's my desperation deep and I dropped to my knees and poured out my heart to God that I was not disappointed in him, but only disappointed in me and That I loved him with all my heart and all my mind and all my soul and then I knew he could be trusted and that his word was true and that Although my situation looked grim that he was a God who worked best in the impossible because his word declares With God all things are possible and all things are possible to him that believes.

Well, I rose to my feet and Looked at my ministry PayPal account and saw a recent activity that just hit with the explanation. You should have received this eight hours ago, but I failed to hit the donate button properly.

Divine Delays as a School of Dependence

Well, that was God's sovereign divine delay. God used those eight hours of my life To deepen my walk with him and to develop my love to him more. God used those strategic eight hours to further instruct me in the school of Christ by making me realize my utter reliance and Dependence upon him and he strengthened my prayer life with him.

Listen friends, the need was met and my prayer was answered, but there was a divine delay. God's provision came when he wanted me to receive it. Don't miss that last statement friends. God gave it to me when he was ready for me to receive it.

So that the instruction that intended it would not be wasted or forgotten. For during those eight hours, I was self emptied stripped and cast upon him in desperation and humiliation. Listen friends God has our best interest at heart and he wants us to become more Christlike every day.

Becoming More Like Christ

Why every day is an opportunity to become more like Jesus. Oh Friends how wonderful it would be that when I preach to you that you did not see this worn-out Preacher, but that you only saw Christ shine through me in former times years ago.

There was a brass plaque fastened to the pulpit stairs. Which the preachers eyes could not help but see as he entered the pulpit and it said sir We wish to see Jesus. I remember Adrian Rogers and every time I was with him.

I felt I was with Jesus. Oh, let me see Jesus in you friends as well. I want to speak this evening on divine delays. I want us to look into two scripture passages dealing with our subject. First we'll be in the gospel of Mark in chapter 6.

Jesus Delayed in the Storm

You can turn in your Bibles there now friends. We will be in verses 45 through 48. You're well familiar with the story here in our text. The disciples enter a boat to cross over the Sea of Galilee and they encounter a storm and in their desperation they row and row and Struggling that windswept ship for three or four miles to Texas.

I now listen to her verse. And When he had sent them away He deported into a mountain to pray and when evening was calm. The ship was in the midst of the sea and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling and rowing for the wind was Contrary unto them and about the fourth watch the night he cometh unto them walking upon the sea.

The troubled disciples in the midst of their distress were not out from under the Watchful eye of their master. Our text reads. He saw them toiling in Rowing as Christ watched them with his eyes. You can be sure friends.

He had them on his heart and he had their best interest in view for their lives. Oh, what a wonderful Savior we serve. He saw them and Friend, he sees you in the midst of your trial as well. He sees you and your toil and anguish and he hears your desperate cry.

You're not out from under his watchful eye. Nor his care for you. But why did he delay? Coming to his disciples. In John's gospel it states. And it was now dark and Jesus was not come to them. It was dark.

They needed help right away for the storm was overwhelming. The Sea of Galilee Because of its topography is prone to sudden and violent storms. These men were Experienced sailors and they struggled and told making little progress against the wind.

But why did Jesus wait? Why did he wait until the fourth watch the night to come out to deliver them? The Roman watch is divided into parts and the fourth watch is between 3 and 6 a .m. The disciples were out there on the Perilous waters a long time and they were drenched and exhausted and felt all hope was gone.

Lazarus, Delay, and the Glory of God

Why the divine delay? I want us to see another divine delay. Recorded in the gospel of John friends in chapter 11. You're all familiar with the story of the death of Lazarus and Christ raising him to life.

In verse 3 we read. Therefore his sisters sent unto him saying Lord Behold he whom thou lovest is sick. Now look at verse 6 friends. When he heard therefore that he was sick he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Why friends? Oh, why? Jesus knew the immediate need. He loved Martha Mary and Lazarus. But why the divine delay? We received the answer. I believe in verse 4 When Jesus heard that he said this sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God.

That the Son of God might be glorified. Thereby it was for the glory of God and also friends that God could demonstrate his power over death. Jesus states later in the text. That they may believe that thou hast sent me.

Why? Souls were at stake as well. I want us to examine why the divine delays. There are several aspects of the divine delay. I'd like to bring before you this evening. Let's look first at four reasons from the Godward side.

God Waits to Be Gracious and Exalted

Number one God waits to be gracious so he can be exalted. We see this in Isaiah 3018 which declares. And Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore Will he be exalted?

God Delays to Save Souls

Number two God delays so he can receive glory by saving souls. John 6 45 speaks of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did Believed on him.

What if friends Christ had come immediately and healed Lazarus before he died? It was the greater work of God that accomplished the deeper work of God in salvation. What if friend God is using your present distress and his delay of?

God Uses Delays to Test and Develop Faith

Come to you because someone's soul is at stake. Number three God will often use a divine delay to test and to develop our faith. And number four God wants to demonstrate his power like doing the impossible.

Experiencing God More Deeply

As in walking on water and raising the dead or saving a wretch like me. Now let's look at four aspects of the divine delay on the manward side. Number one God wants us to Experience him in a deeper way and to trust him more.

Being Stripped of Self-Reliance

We are in the school of Christ and the master teacher Wants us to learn a thing for or good and his glory. Number two Through the delay we are stripped pruned purged and emptied of self and all Self-reliance and are cast entirely upon God and God alone.

Hearing God in the Delay

Number three in the delay God wants to speak to us and this is the best time for us to hear him to hear what he is. Speaking to us. Number four in the delay We have our prayer life deepened our faith strengthened in our usefulness sharpened in Isaiah 4115 we see this.

Behold, I will make the new sharp threshing instrument having teeth. Listen to me friend. The God who saved you will make you into the person. He wants you to be for his witness and his glory your present trials.

May be a time for God to sharpen your usefulness to him. Listen to first Peter 5 10. But the God of all grace who hath called us on to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus. Now listen friends. After that ye have suffered a while.

Make you perfect establish strengthen. Settle you. God is with you in your trial friend and he's working in you and through you and he will see you through. Well, I hope this little study has given you a better understanding of divine delays.

I can promise you this friends no matter your trial and suffering you can rest assured that God's Word is true and he is true to his word. And do you know what else friend? Jesus is not only worthy. He is worth it.

Let us pray.