Why Are There Delays?

JAMES 1:2-4 NIV 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Why are prayers not all answered instantly? Why don't we always experience the blessings promised in the Bible immediately? If all results were instant, we could never walk in faith. Without faith, we could never please God. (Hebrews 11:6) If you always reaped the harvest of your deeds immediately, the incentive to do right and refrain from wrongdoing would only be selfish. No faith, or love for God, would be required. During delays we have opportunity to demonstrate whether we really love God, and trust Him, or not.

A delay is a test. Without testing, there could be no reward. God does not test us so that we can fail, but so that we can overcome. He believes we will make it with His help. We desire an instant manifestation of victory. God's desire is for us to press into Him and His Word and walk in faith until we see victory. To overcome there must be opposition and struggle. God cannot always shield us from problems without taking away from us the privilege of overcoming. Victory is sweet. What makes it sweet is that it is not easy. If we really trust God, time is not a problem. Leave that with God. His timing is perfect and He is dependable! We know He promised, and can never fail -- and that is enough. SAY THIS: I will persevere in faith, and the Bible says I will end up not lacking anything.

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welcome to my blog

Oh the waterfall of cleansing Grace! Welcome to my Grace blog. I hope to both share and start a dialogue about Jesus Christ and how his life, relationships and teaching have a practical working value in our everyday lives. To go beyond our belief of Jesus... and into our belief in Jesus. I hope we can learn more about how the finished work of Christ on the cross empowers his work in us in our daily lives. I hope we can grow in His Grace and Wisdom! The name came from a Joseph Prince story in his book "Destined to Reign"...here's the story: Prince tells the story of a young boy who found a rock out in the woods. Though it looked rough at first, he rinsed it in the small waterfall of a nearby stream. Turns out, the rock was marbly, smooth, and full of color. Not wanting to lose the rock, and afraid someone would take it from him if he took it home, he buried it back in the dirt in a tucked away place before he went home for the night. There, he left it. The ne...

THE WATERFALL OF GRACE

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