Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. – John 11:21
When I was growing up in Africa, my parents had an unspoken policy of never spanking me in the presence of my grandparents. When I did something that would get me into trouble, I would sit next to my grandfather or grandmother and knew I would be safe as long as I remained by one of their sides.
On one occasion, I think I had eaten one of my dad’s forbidden sugar canes, and I deeply needed my grandfather to come over before Dad arrived home from work. I knew I had a spanking coming when Dad got home, so Grandfather was my only hope. However, Grandfather did not come. We did not have clocks, but I watched the shadows on the trees growing longer and longer as the sun was setting, suggesting that Dad would arrive soon. I kept anxiously looking at the path that led to my grandfather’s hut, but he did not show up. He was taking forever! I became bitter about his delay and thought, Why would he take so long in my hour of need? Eventually it was too late—my dad came, and soon after, my punishment was administered. Grandfather had taken too long.
As Christians, there are times when we feel that Jesus is taking too long to answer our prayers. We might have brought specific needs to Him but then nothing good seems to have happened. Depending on the magnitude of our problem, sometimes we can even feel He has rejected us.
Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, had first-hand experience of what it meant to have Jesus delay. They sent for Jesus when their brother was sick, and He took four days before showing up in their town. They both believed that if Jesus had come earlier, Lazarus would not have died.
Four days with a critically sick loved one is a very long time. When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had already died and was buried. After a brief conversation, Jesus told the sisters to open the grave, and they responded by telling Him that it was too late to do anything. Jesus insisted that they open the grave. Even though Mary and Martha were convinced that Jesus could no longer help their brother, they obeyed and Jesus brought His friend back to life.
Jesus may seem to be taking too long to answer our prayers. Perhaps we have prayed for increased family harmony, the return of a wayward child, rekindled faith, healing, or restoration of emotional stability after losing a loved one. Remember, Jesus takes what seems to be too long for a reason. We may not be ready for what God wants us to learn, or God may be using the waiting period to develop patience within us. Perhaps He wants to perform a greater miracle rather than a minor one. God’s timing is different from ours, but His will is always for our good, irrespective of the outcome.
Hold to His unchanging hand without giving up; He will surely come to fulfill His righteous purposes, and also help us grow spiritually as we try to understand and follow His will.