Tuesday 30 January 2018

YOU CALL IT A DELAY, BUT GOD CALLS IT A DESIGN

Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers where he ended up in jail after resisting the sexual advances of his master's wife. He earnestly wanted to be free again, to live outside the dungeon and see the sunshine everyday (Genesis 37:12-28; 39:1, 7-20).

One day, two prominent men who had recently been jailed - the Pharoah's baker and butler - had dreams and Joseph helped interpret them. Even though his interpretations proved right, even though he had served the two men while they were in jail, even though he had specifically pleaded for their help to secure his release from unjust detention, when their cases were heard before the Pharoah shortly after, the one who was restored to his position forgot about Joseph (Genesis, chapter 40). How depressing that must have been! 

We sometimes go through similar disappointments. The job interview we prepared so well for does not yield the job we long for, even though we are fully qualified and performed superbly at the interview. The house we wanted to rent or buy goes to another family and we wonder how much longer we have to live in our present unsuitable residence.

What one person is facing may not be in the same sphere as another but what I'm talking about boils down to delay: disturbing, disheartening and "unnecessary" delay. There are some blessings we feel we should have got five years ago, a decade ago or even longer but we can't say for sure that we would have been better off if we had got them then.

God is a Master Planner. In His infinite wisdom, He has scheduled our blessings as He deems best. His schedule usually varies from ours and what we call delays are often His design to give us the best outcome and evade damaging complications the enemy may plant on our paths.



In Joseph's case, if the butler had secured his release as he implored, he would have been lost in the population in Egypt or gone back to Canaan. Bottomline: he wouldn't have been readily at hand to interpret Pharoah's dreams and become the prime minister of Egypt (Genesis 41:1-44).

When you have prayed and bound every evil force that may be withstanding your blessings, rest in God's plan. His wisdom is infinite and His plans for your life are perfect; you couldn't possibly improve on them. Allow God to complete His work in you. You will probably find that what you call a delay is actually God's design to bless you beyond your expectations.

Never forget that God makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). So, rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7) for what you call a delay, the Almighty calls a design.

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1 comment:

  1. The ways of God has never and would never be the way of man. When we think of giving up, He thinks of bringing us up. His plans are the best.

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