Thread by @AdeDavies71

DaviesDarts®️🇳🇬
GOD TESTS OUR FAITH/OBEDIENCE THROUGH DELAYS.

Each time I read the story of king Saul, I always felt so sad; how he missed the UNMERITED GRACE placed before him just for grab.

1 Samuel 13:8-13 "And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering.

And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said,

Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash;
Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication

unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.
And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever".

God tested king Saul with delay. But he failed woefully. Wait! Don't ever blamed him we need to learn from him and be watchful. God is testing us today but it may comes in different ways.
Let me share personal experience with you.

Let me share personal experience with you. In 1989, we just finished Sunday service and my pastor called me " Brother Caleb you are starting three (3) days marathon prayer and fasting tomorrow. You must wait for me on Wednesday until I come back from Bible School before you break

In 1989, we just finished Sunday service and my pastor called me " Brother Caleb you are starting three (3) days marathon prayer and fasting tomorrow. You must wait for me on Wednesday until I come back from Bible School before you break the fasting" what is the prayer points?

the fasting" what is the prayer points? I asked reluctantly. "About your future and anything God lay upon your heart". He responded.
He later told me to do the fasting with my friend. Truly, I murmured. Reluctantly, we obeyed with all diligence. Monday through Wednesday.

Pastor asked us to wait till 12 noon when he will pray for us before we break our fasting.
On the set day (Wednesday morning), we are too expectant; we peeled soft pawpaw, oranges and beverage. We had our fervent prayer before 10 am. We are at eagerness for his arrival.

12 noon pass we couldn't see him. The tickling of the clock is close to us as our heartbeat- tick tock 1pm... 2pm... 3pm... 4pm...5pm... By 6pm, we agreed to break our fasting as we couldn't see him. Better still "God knows we have tried our best. the delayed is unbecoming"

we giggled.
As we finished the set of soft chopped pawpaw, lo and behold, we saw him coming. He chastised us for not waiting and endure for a little while. He prayed for us but asked us to starts another three (3) days the next day... The rest is history.

Delay is part of God's plan for His children.

If every prayer were immediately answered, if your every need were automatically met, if every problem were instantly solved you wouldn’t need faith and your faith wouldn’t need to be stretched. But it is not that way.

We have to wait on things. It is human nature that we hate to wait. We hate it!
Deuteronomy 8:2 "And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to PROVE THEE, to KNOW what was IN THINE HEART,

whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not".

Oh mine! "to know what is in your heart" That's the key word here. Because the heart of man is like bottomless pit, delay will reveal it perfectly. That’s what happens in times of waiting.

We get to see God gets to see what is in our heart. Until you are being tested, what's inside you wouldn't be revealed.
As tough as that time of waiting was did God develop our faith during that time that would have never been developed?

Absolutely! Even with the difficulty of waiting God was developing our faith. 

Some of you are waiting on something right now. Maybe you’ve been waiting a long time. While you’re waiting God is there. He does not leave you alone. It just may be a test.

Because God does use difficulties and demands. But He also uses delays to build your FAITH and see how OBEDIENCE you are to His WORDS.
Look at what God does, Isaiah 64:4 "God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." It pays to be patient.

Just remember this: while you are waiting God is working. You’re not waiting alone. Waiting in faith God is working. God is doing things behind the scenes, in your heart and other people’s hearts that you cannot even see.
So what’s the lesson on this one, the faith lesson?

If I really want to learn to live by faith, I must learn to wait patiently.
Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary..."
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