How many know that we serve a mighty God? Does everyone agree with that statement, this morning?
We all love to talk about the wonderful miracle working power of almighty God. Truly He is a mighty God. He has all power in His hand. There is nothing that is too hard for God to do.
∑ Any problem that you might have right now or will have in the future is not too hard for God to solve.
∑ Any trouble that you find yourself in right now or in the future is not too hard for God to fix.
∑ Any situation that is relative to your particular set of unique circumstances from your life is not too big for God to deal with and take care of.
® It doesn’t matter what the problem is.
® It doesn’t matter what the need is.
® It doesn’t matter what the situation is.
® It doesn’t matter what the adversity is.
Because God is a mighty God!
® It doesn’t matter how strong the storm is.
® It doesn’t matter how fierce the winds are.
® It doesn’t matter how high the floodwaters are.
® It doesn’t matter how bad it looks to everybody around you.
® It doesn’t matter how serious it looks right now.
Because God is well able to meet your need in just one instant of time. He is a mighty, mighty God.
If you have a:
® Financial need – no problem
® Healing need – no problem
® Marital need – no problem
® Family need – no problem
® Salvation need – no problem
® Any need at all – it’s no problem with God
Our God is a mighty God and he is able!
The Word of God says:
® But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory
® Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask or think
® He is able to always cause us to triumph
® He is able to always bring the victory
He is a mighty, mighty, powerful, awesome, wonderful God!
So today we have established that our God is able to meet your needs whatever the need is.
ÿ But what about when the answer doesn’t come right away?
ÿ What happens when we get a different answer than the one we expected to get?
ÿ What happens when we pray and things get worse instead of better?
ÿ What happens when deliverance is delayed?
ÿ Why do we face difficulties even when we are doing what God told us to do?
ÿ When these questions come does that affect our view of the mighty God that we serve?
ÿ When the answer doesn’t come do we think differently about God?
In our scripture text Moses is lashing out at God because he has done what God has told him to do but things have gotten worse instead of better. I’ve done what you told me to do but you haven’t done anything, Lord. I’ve kept my part of the bargain but you haven’t kept your part God. You still haven’t delivered us yet. You still haven’t showed up yet. We are still waiting for you to do what you said you would do.
I can hear the bitter cries of Mary and Martha as they weep. “Jesus, where are you?” “Jesus, how come you haven’t come by here just yet?” They had called for the master to come but he never did and now it’s too late because Lazarus is dead. Mary weeps off in a corner somewhere, “Lord, I just don’t understand. I’m confused.” Martha moans as she falls to her knees, “Jesus, I thought you would have come. I thought you were our friend.” But still Jesus has not come-… yet.
There are times in all of our lives that things appear to be just like that.
∑ Things appear to be dead.
∑ It appears to be over.
∑ It appears that God has turned a deaf ear to you and your cry.
∑ Your dreams are dead.
∑ It looks like God has forgotten about you.
∑ You are desperate for an answer but no answer has come.
∑ You feel like it is too late for God to do anything concerning your situation.
∑ You feel just like Martha did when her brother died – your too late God!
∑ You cry out, “God where are you?” But the wind picks up your cry and slaps it back in your face again.
∑ You stagger along like a drunken man in your spirit as the enemy delivers more and more adversity to you.
But wait! Before you give up for good let’s take another look. Off in the distance I see God walking toward you on the stormy waters of your adversity. I’m looking down the rough and dusty road of adversity in your life and I think I see something coming toward you down the road.
The Bible says:
ÿ I will look to the hills from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord. My help is coming right now!
ÿ Look up for your redemption draweth nigh. It’s not here just yet but it’s on the way. It’s almost here.
Let me preach to you today and tell you that:
∑ God does all things well even when it seems like it’s disaster.
∑ God has his own plan and his own time clock for your life and for your deliverance
∑ God is never too late even when we think he is.
∑ God is still in charge
∑ God is still on your side.
You can and you will eventually triumph over the distasteful business of hell if you are willing to patiently wait on the Lord even when the answer hasn’t come yet.
When deliverance is delayed.
Isaiah 40:27-29,31
27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
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; and they shall walk, and not faint.
If you can just wait on the Lord a little while longer he will renew your strength. The answer hasn’t arrived yet but he will renew your strength.
Why does he work the way that he does? I don’t know but I do know this: We will understand it better bye and bye if we wait on the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8-11
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God’s ways are much higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He doesn’t do things just like we would do them. He doesn’t think like us. But there is one thing that we do know about God and that is His word will not return to him void. It will accomplish its intended purpose. If God has told you that he will do something in your life you can count on it that he will do it!
The storms of life come to everybody, even the child of God. Sometimes God calms the storm and other times he gets on board with us and calms his child and you ride out the storm with him.
Deliverance might be delayed right now but keep on waiting on the Lord.
We look at the life of the apostle Paul and say what a great man. I wish I could be more like Paul – oh really? Let’s look a bit more closely at his life.
2 Corinthians 1:8-10
8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
Notice what it says here about Paul:
1. Paul had trouble
2. Paul despaired of life
3. Paul had the sentence of death in him
4. He stated that he would not trust in himself but in God
5. God delivered him from death
6. He trusted that God would deliver him again
2 Corinthians 4:8-10
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
Again he talks of death and dying.
2 Corinthians 11:24-28
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
Paul was a man that was used greatly by God but he was also a man that suffered much for God. Paul suffered much pain but what brought him through was his attitude toward the pain. He cared much more about the glory of God resting on him than he did the pain. That is why his pain was turned into pleasure.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
It’s not normal to take pleasure in infirmities and adversity but the thing that Paul learned was that you must trust in God in spite of what you are going through. He learned that it’s the pain and suffering that is, at times, the steadying influence in our lives. The heavy burden can actually act as a ballast for us.
Dr. Thomas A. Lambie, medical missionary, to Africa, told about how he forded many swift and bridgeless streams. The danger in crossing such streams lies in being swept off your feet and carried down stream to greater depths and hurled to death on hidden rocks. Dr. Lambie learned from the natives the best way to make such a hazardous crossing. You find a large stone, the heavier the better, and lift it to your shoulder, and carry it across the stream. The extra weight of the stone keeps your feet solid on the bed of the stream while crossing.
Dr. Lambie drew this application: While crossing the dangerous streams of life, enemies constantly seek to overthrow us and rush us down to ruin. We need the ballast of burden bearing, a load of affliction, to keep us from being swept off our feet.
Martin Luther once said, “Ah! Affliction is the best book in my library.”
Walter B. Knight tells of an American tourist who had just seen the Passion Play. Approaching Mr. Lang who played the part of Christ, he asked, “May I be photographed with you while I lift your cross?” The tourist stooped to lift the cross but he couldn’t. He exerted more energy, but still could not lift it. Looking at Mr. Lang, he said, “Your cross is certainly heavy!” Mr. Lang said, “Sir, I cannot represent Christ with a light cross!”
In life it will be the grievous things that help lift us up to Heaven.
Why is it that God allows the trials to come to us? Why does God allow the pain to come that is so intense that it seems difficult to even breathe? Why does God allow us to weep and cry over and over again about the same crisis? Your pillow is wet with tears at night. You cry out to God but it seems like he is not listening. You put a smile on your face when you deal with the world but deep down inside you are broken and there is pain.
What can you do at a time like this?
∑ Job went through that kind of adversity.
∑ Hagar went through that kind of a situation.
∑ Naomi went through that kind of a difficulty.
∑ Hannah went through that kind of a trying dark time in her life.
∑ Jacob feared for his life when Esau was coming to kill him.
∑ David was surrounded by his own men that wanted to stone him
∑ Paul was stoned and left for dead.
What do you do in that situation that you find yourself in? What do you do? You trust in God! You continue to wait on the Lord. You continue to hold his hand even when you don’t agree with the way he is leading you.
Trust in God when deliverance is delayed.
1 Peter 4:12-13
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Pain and affliction are allowed so that people will keep close to the Lord in prayer.
∑ We don’t want those things in our life.
∑ We don’t want those times in our life.
But it is the trial and the adversity that will purify us and bring us closer to God. It’s the bearing of the burden that will strengthen us to endure all the way to the end in our walk with God.
It’s easy for people without much invested in this Christian walk to backslide and fall away from God. But those with something invested in their walk with God and those who have completely sold out to God will want to hold on all the way to the end. They have been through:
∑ The fire
∑ The floods
∑ The storms
∑ The difficulties
∑ The adversity
And the trying of their faith has produced a quality in them that is as pure as gold.
1 Peter 5:10
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
4 things God wants to do for you “after you have suffered a while.”
1. Perfect you
2. Establish you
3. Strengthen you
4. Settle you
When deliverance is delayed.
Elijah – widow 1 Kings 17
What do we do during the delay? We have looked at the fact that there will be delays. How do we make it through?
Isaiah 35:4
4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.
Isaiah 41:10
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
Isaiah 43:1-5
1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
Psalm 23:1-6
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Deuteronomy 20:3-4
3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;
4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Psalm 27:1
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
Psalm 46:1-7
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
When deliverance is delayed keep trusting in God.
