The trend of owning a blackberry got to me sometime in my second year in the university. This trend was fast gaining grounds from my final year in secondary school, but all of a sudden I wanted to have a blackberry pin too, I wanted to belong to the clan of blackberry owners. So I stylishly informed my daddy, he did not take me seriously initially. Then he understood eventually that I really wanted to belong to this growing community badly. In his opinion I did not need that phone at that time, It would be major distraction from my primary assignment of excelling at school work. In his words, “mi o le fi owo ara mi se ara mi” Meaning he just could not use his hands to destroy himself. What he meant was he did not want any distractions for me, which would lead to me failing which would eventually bounce back on him for making the wrong decision of buying me the phone at that time.
I got my blackberry eventually, towards the end of first semester in my second year after series of family meetings. LOOOL! And maybe after my dad saw results and reluctantly thought I could handle the distraction.
God is like every good dad, He would purposely delay on the good things you are asking for if He sees you cannot handle the responsibilities that come with the blessings you are asking for. As I read through the book of Exodus, I realized God took his children, the Israelites through a longer route to their land of freedom because they were unprepared. For a great number of years, the Israelites prayed for freedom from slavery in Egypt. He probably delayed in their freedom because they were still babies in their thoughts and actions. Eventually when he gave them their long awaited freedom, He took them through a long route to the city of Canaan.
God who knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning of the story knew His children. He knew that they would have to fight to posses their land flowing with milk and honey. So He subjected them to training as they journeyed. He wanted them to experience Him and His power, He needed them to grow in faith, in power, grow in knowledge of Him. It was important for them to be able to handle the next level which God was taking them too.
So God took them through the other route, train them in the process rather than have them chicken out at the slightest trial. (Exodus 13 verse 17)
It hit me that God may just be delaying on some of the things I am asking for just because I am not ready, I just may not be where He needs me to be, or the level I should be. I just may not be strong enough (emotionally, spiritually or otherwise) to handle them just yet. God takes us through training, tests us then promotes us once we ace the test He subjects us to.
The children of God (Israelites) were stubborn, just bent on doing things that displeased God, they refused to grow. They were quick to make for themselves another god to worship just because they had not seen their leader, Moses or God for some days. They were easily distracted, they lacked neither patience nor endurance, they lacked what it took to sustain the great plans God had for them. Hence, the process God took them through…
Once you are God’s legit child, He just would not want to lose you, so He won’t give you things that would take you away from Him, things that would allow you self-destruct.
Would you still have as much time for God as you do now as a single sister/brother, if He gave you the husband/wife you are praying for? Have you grown so much you can prioritize, put God first always?
Have you grown so much that you would fight on your knees for your home when God starts to build you one and not chicken out at the slightest provocation?
Would you still acknowledge God, make time for Him when He gives you that promotion you want so bad or would you make excuses and say God understands how busy you got after the promotion?
Would you make your brand new car your god or not once God provides you with one?
Are you there yet? Are you really ready for the things you are praying for? Can you really handle them?
Although God delayed just a bit on taking the Israelites to their milk and honey land. God was with them, in drought, hunger, in their times of wants, God was with them all the way.
The same way He is with you right now through the route He is taking you through
Be intentional about your growth in your new life in christ, your stagnancy may just be the reason you have not received from God just yet.
Keep growing, keep asking and keep trusting, God will come through
Amen