In Psalm 70 the author writes five verses that I think any person can identify with.  In verse 1 he prays “Make haste, O God, to deliver me!  Make haste to help me, O Lord!”  Then in verse 2 and 3 he prays the Lord will deliver him from his enemies…those who seek his life, those who desire his hurt, and those who mock him.  He exclaims in verse 5 that he is a poor beggar in comparison to the God he is praying to.  But then he continues to pray to the Lord, even though he knows that his God is in control and powerful, he prays openly and honestly with desperation…”Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.”

Why does God not always answer us when we believe it is the perfect time for an answer?  Why does God wait to deliver us from the situations we find ourselves in?  Why does God seem to be silent when we need Him to speak to us the most?  Why does God wait so long to act when I need Him to intervene now?!

In John chapter 11, we get a little insight into the timing of God and the purpose behind it.  If you haven’t heard of the man named Lazarus that Jesus raised to life from the dead in front of a crowd, then please go read John 11:1-44.  To me, the story leading up to that event is just as amazing as the miracle itself.  In John 11:1-3, Jesus finds out through messengers from his friends Martha and Mary that his beloved friend Lazarus is sick.  This wasn’t a sickness as simple as the common cold, this was a sickness that they thought could possibly kill him (this is why they urgently sent for Jesus).  Just like in Psalm 70, “Make haste, O God to deliver me!  Make haste to help me, O Lord!”  So in John 11:4-7 we see Jesus’ response to this news about his dear friend who is sick almost to the point of death, “When Jesus heard that, He said, ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed there two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”  Notice that…don’t miss it…verse 5 said “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus”…so he waited two days…  Wait a minute…Jesus loved them and because of that He waited…for what purpose?  He states it there in verse 4…”This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God (Jesus) may be glorified through it.”

Now if you know the end of the story, Lazarus did die…BUT unless a person dies they can not be raised to life.  Resurrection can not happen unless death happens first.  So when Jesus shows up though it be a few days later, God was magnified through Jesus as He stepped into the situation and raised Lazarus from the dead.  And in doing so, Jesus declared to the world that He had power over death (man’s biggest fear) and that He is not constrained by time.  He is able to deliver us and His timing is always perfect.

So why does God wait?  Because He loves us and He is working things out for our good (His best for us)…and in order to magnify the name and power of the Lord to a world who has no hope.  Hope can only come to the hopeless, those who know they are truly poor and needy, and only in Jesus name.  Amen.