Words of Worth

Don’t Expect Delays!

September 28, 2015

don't expect delaysPope Francis’ historical visit to Philadelphia is now history! Philadelphia leaders took months, maybe even years to cast their vision for how this visit would play out. Streets that were once littered with “EXPECT DELAYS” signs are now littered with the trash of a million and half people who packed the streets for a glimpse of Pope Francis.  Today, the day after the visit, the clean-up of the city has begun. Evaluations of how well Philadelphia carried out the vision and how well people weathered impatience and embraced school and business closings, and other inconveniences is underway.

All of that takes my mind to the prophet, Habakkuk, whose name means “embracer”, and to a vision that God gave to him, that took 100 years to fulfill. In Habakkuk 2, God told the prophet to write down a vision and when prophets were commanded to write anything, it meant it was extremely important. God had a vital vision for Habakkuk and He told him to make it plain upon tables — write it in legible characters that it may be read with ease.

2Then the Lord answered me and said,

“Record the vision

And inscribe it on tablets,

That the one who reads it may run.

This vision was a foretelling of the destruction of the monarchy in Babylon and God was encouraging Habakkuk to be patient and not carry out God’s plan before its due season. God assured the prophet by promising specific things about the vision:

3“For the vision is yet for the appointed time;

It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.

Though it tarries, wait for it;

For it will certainly come, it will not delay.

God appointed the time the vision will come.

It shall be accomplished.

It will not fail.

Even if it feels like a long time to wait, it will certainly come.

And it will not delay.

When we have poured out complaints and requests before God, we must patiently wait upon the answers God gives by His Word and His Spirit. God will not disappoint those who wait to hear what He will say to them. Even if the wait is long for expectant believers, God’s answers will come in His time, they will accomplish His purposes, they will not fail, and they will not delay.  They will arrive on time and not a second too early or too late.  When it comes to God’s vision, EXPECT NO DELAYS!

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He’s an On Time God