Every day . . . numerous times, I walked to the woods and prayed the same prayer.
Betrayal is never easy to endure—especially when sorrow isn’t offered. When sorrow and repentance are expressed, the betrayed has something to cling to.
I had little hope. I heard no “I’m sorry,” or “Let’s try to work things out.” Rather, “I don’t love you anymore.” I was left … with my thoughts, loneliness, and children. Several times each day, I made my way to the patch of woods behind our house and prayed for God to change her mind and trouble her soul.
I’m sure God answered my prayer, at least the part where He troubled her mind, but He didn’t make her return. From my perspective, it seemed as if He wasn’t listening or that He was delaying His answer for some unknown reason. The psalmist must have felt the same way.
What I had to learn, or remember, is that God’s delays only appear as such. They aren’t in reality. To say God delays means He operates from a past, present, or future perspective when He doesn’t. In my world, past, present, and future exist. In God’s world, everything is now. He sees it all at one time and at the same time. While mind boggling, believing this about God helps when I feel as if He has forgotten me.
In times of delay, realizing the difference between feeling and fact is also vital. I felt forgotten. The psalmist felt forgotten. But our feelings didn’t represent reality. God never forgets me or any request I make. He merely knows more than I do and sees the Although He will trouble their soul. If I’m the one suffering because of someone’s bad choice, I may think God is delaying an answer when it’s actually the free will of the person causing the delay.
God’s delays are only delays from our perspective. Don’t let appearances fool you. God loves and cares for you and will do what is in your best interest.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author. He serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net and is an instructor for the Christian PEN (professional editor’s network). Wiles is a multi-published author. His most recent book, Hurt, Hope and Healing: 52 Devotions That Will Lead to Spiritual Health, is available on Amazon. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven. He can be contacted at [email protected].