It is amazing how God speaks to us through our everyday living. I was on a rush from the gym one morning, heading to the train station. I felt that if I drove a bit faster, I would make it to my train on time.

I overtook the car in front of me because I felt the driver was not going fast enough. A few minutes later, I came to a red light and had to stop. Seconds later, the car I overtook stopped in the next lane next to me.

At that point I felt a bit stupid and laughed at my foolishness. Here was I in a hurry and trying to milk as much speed as I could get within the legal limit and right beside me was someone else driving with ease as if he had no real destination in mind, yet we were both stopped at the red light even though I had left him behind a few minutes ago.



The incident set me thinking and it hit me, ‘God is never too late!’  When Jesus walked the surface of the earth, he was never worried or in a haste. He knew what he wanted to do, when He wanted it done and how He wanted it done.

Jesus was in the vicinity of Jerusalem when he received word from word from his friends Mary and Martha that Lazarus their brother was ill.  From the content of the message, one could see that they appealed to his emotions, ‘Lord, The one you love is sick’ (John 11: 3) This, they hoped, would provoke a sense of urgency in Jesus and He would come hurrying down. How wrong they were!

Jesus did the exact opposite, after telling the disciples about the message he had received, He waited two more days. The disciples also got him wrong, they thought he decided not to embark on the journey to Bethany immediately because he was avoiding the Jews in Judea who had previously tried to stone Him.  They were therefore surprised when two days later, He announced, ‘Let us go back to Judea’ (John 11:7)

In case Jesus had forgotten, the disciples had to remind Him that Judea was where an attempt was made to stone Him earlier. They just could not understand why He had to decide to go back there of all places! Jesus told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up’

This was more baffling to the disciples. ‘But if he is sleeping, then that means he will get better!’ They just didn’t get it, just like many times we didn’t get it too until God makes things clearer. Then Jesus had to tell them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead’ He also added, ‘I am glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let us go and see him’ (John 11:14-15)

Jesus and His disciples eventually went to Bethany and right there before many witnesses, Jesus raised Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, from the dead.

We live at a time when everything seems to go very fast. We’ve got fast food, fast cars, high speed trains, fast computers and even fast Church services We time everything and also try to get God into fast mode. It however does not work that way. God is the creator of time and space. We are limited by times and space and operate within those limits, not so with God. He cannot be hurried and He does not do anything in haste.

If you are trusting God for something, you can be sure that He heard you the first time. You may not get the answer immediately, but one thing you can be certain of, God is never too late. He will surely come….and He will always be on time!

“God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early” Psalm 46:5

 

Steve Popoola is the editor of Biblepraise Newsletter and the founder of  the Biblepraise Fellowship Online at http://www.biblepraise.org. He lives in Kent, United Kingdom, where he works as an IT Professional. He currently serves as a Worship Leader as well as Home Group Leader  in his local church and on occasion, speaks at invited events. He is the founder of the Biblepraise Fellowship Online Ministry and Moderator/Editor of the  Biblepraise Newsletter. He can be reached through His email address,  steve@biblepraise.org