GOD IS NEVER LATE
By Laura FLores
"When Jesus shows up on the scene in all the major Bible stories, does he show up on time or 'kinda late'?" (Michelle Elliott)
You and I tend to think that when Jesus doesn't show up on our schedule, he is not with us. Ask yourself if you would have kept your faith in Jesus...
If you were tested as Abraham was tested:
Genesis 22:7-12:
7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
If you were sent to the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Daniel 3:14-18:
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
What if you were sent into a den of lions like Daniel?
Daniel 6:16:
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
In both of these cases, God was honored through their faith. Others came to worship God because of their faithfulness.
Daniel 6:25-26:
25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
Is God ever late? Even when he knew that Lazarus was sick, Jesus waited two days before coming to see him.
John 11:6:
When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Lazarus had been dead for four days before Jesus arrived!
John 11:17:
Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
But many people believed on Jesus after he raised Lazarus from the dead.
John 11:45:
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
The Lord wants you to prove your faith.
Deuteronomy 13:3b-4:
3 ... for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
Obedience is better than sacrifice.
1 Samuel 15:22-24:
22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
Do not fear people. Fear God!
Hebrews 13:6:
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Hebrews 13:8:
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
In this day, do not be moved by the trials or pleasures of this world. Stand fast on God's Word. Do not think that the Lord is not with you just because the situation looks grim. Remember the stories of Abraham, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and Mary and Martha. Keep your faith to the end.
1 Peter 3:14-17:
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.