The Lord is Not Slow

We all know what it is like to walk through uncharted territories. We have all experienced unexpected disappointments. Trusting God at times like these can be very difficult but should be our primary hope. 

Photographer: Randy Tran. Fashion Stylist: Donna Lisa. Hair Stylist: Darine Sengseevong at Art Department LA. Makeup Artist: Jenny Ventura. Retoucher: Dorian Qi. Model: Chloe Blanchard at The Lions LA.

Why We Trust

Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone, most often based on proof. We trust people because they have proven themselves or we know their character. When it comes to trusting God, it is difficult because we cannot see Him; we do not know everything about Him, and we do not always audibly hear Him. God can be at work in our lives, but we do not always see or know it. It can then seem incredibly scary or even unwise to entrust your life to a God you cannot see or hear. 

We find it scary to trust God because we do not fully know Him, and understand His character. This uncertainty causes us to hold back, breeds fear and prevents us from trusting Him. To trust Him, we must study and remember His character. He is a Father who knows all that we need and reminds us not to worry or be anxious about anything: ‘For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ (Matthew 6:32-34 NIV)

‘Our will must take a back seat and we need to allow God to guide us in His.’

God knows and cares about every single detail of our lives. In warning against fear, Jesus reminds us in the book of Matthew in the Bible that He knows the very numbers of hairs on our heads: ‘and even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than any sparrow.’ (Matthew 10:30-31 NIV) We are assured that His care for this minute detail proves His concern for the major details. We are comforted through pain and fear by knowing that God cares for us. 

Surrender

Trusting God involves surrendering all our hopes and plans to Him. This can be incredibly difficult because it requires a vulnerability that may not come naturally to us. It requires us to give ourselves completely to His will and embrace the uncertainty of our next step. Our will must take a back seat and we need to allow God to guide us in His. This may seem like foolishness, but to live out our faith, He requires us to trust Him. Throughout the Bible, we are gifted encouragement from the lives of those who are a testimony of trusting God. Abraham lived a life of consistent trust and belief in God. We would do well to learn from him.  

‘But do not forget this one thing...With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years.’

Timing 

To trust in God also requires trust in his timing, and this can be most challenging of all. It is easy to lose heart when all our desires and dreams do not come to fruition in our time frame. Believing that God’s timing is ideal is difficult when we are faced with disappointments, delayed dreams, and culture of comparison. However, we are reminded by the Apostle Peter God’s timing is worked out perfectly; ‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness’ (2 Peter 3:8-9 NIV). 

In the Old Testament, Abraham was promised a child and he was born 25 years later, David was anointed to be king in his youth, but he did not reign until he was 30 years old. Regardless of the time that it takes, God is working out his promises and it is our responsibility to trust Him while we wait. Wholehearted trust is challenging, but with the Bible as our guide, we are equipped to trust in God even when it feels scary. 

WORDS BY 

Onome Beberi