How Long?

“How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face
from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?
how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” (Ps13:1,2)

I used to believe strongly in the adage, “the patient dog eats the fattest bones” until
recently. A dog saw the owner sharing food to other dogs. This dog wagged its tail and
salivated in anticipation of the largesse to come; because it was hungry. Unfortunately for
the dog, it waited patiently, until the food was completely shared out to the other dogs!!
Then, the tail wagging turned to whining, then to growling and it finally barked loudly, to
the surprise of the owner. The patient dog did not eat the fattest bone after all, rather it
barked the loudest (due to frustration)!

Patience is a beautiful word, but practically difficult. One thing you will hear people say
to you in any situation, (especially unpleasant ones) is, “please be patient”. But from the
example of the dog above, you may not eat the fattest bone. Try telling the same person
to be patient when in a difficult situation and he will react differently. Patience, most
times in real life situations, is better practiced in the short term troubles than in long term.
Once a matter is taking too long to resolve, the first thing you lose is your patience.

For example, imagine that you believed God for a breakthrough (financially, fruit of the
womb, or even job etc.).Then in the cause of believing and standing in faith somebody
else testifies of God’s intervention in the same area you still believe God for. If indeed
you are a true believer, you will rejoice with the person and be excited to believe God for
your own breakthrough as well. If you are not a true believer, the first thing you will
analyse is the extent of the person’s holiness (since God did not create a ‘Holymeter’ you
will use your own).If the person is holier than you (by your estimations), then you will
surmise that he/she deserves it. You will then conclude that you have to be better person
for God to answer you. If the reverse is the case, then you will probably say, “God but
why him?” If you are an unbelieving believer, you will rather want to believe that the
individual concerned had compromised somewhere, because you know he is not holy (he
still commits sin, he doesn’t pay tithe, he is not a church worker etc. etc.)

So, at the initial stage it is easy to share in other people’s joys and testimonies. Then, one
is stirred up to believe God for more. But there comes a time when the waiting becomes
unbearable, that is when it seems everybody except you has a testimony. At such times
you start feeling uncomfortable because you feel left out, and everybody is making fun of
you, maybe they are thinking your delay is because of your sins (notice, this is only in the
realm of your imaginations) You become suspicious of every action around you.
Sometimes you become jealous wishing something will go wrong with your brother/sister
so that others may know that he/she is not perfect too. At such times, you will smile with
everyone around you but once you get to your room, you start the party of one – pity
party. You’ll cry yourself to sleep speaking to God (at least so it seems but actually, you
are soliloquizing) The conversation goes thus, “Lord why are you doing this to me?
Please! If it is my sin forgive me (you might even remember the sins you committed
some 10yrs ago that you have repented of) Please don’t put me to shame, don’t turn me
into a laughing stock, how long oh Lord am I going to keep on praying before you answer
me? How long Baba am I going to wait?” Have pity on me; help me so that they may
know I serve a powerful God. Lord please! Heeelp!”

The next day you will get up and smile with everyone as if nothing had happened. Should
the waiting persist, then those around you will start getting the brunt of your frustrations.
You will tend to over-react over seemingly little issues you would have over-looked
normally. Then you become a short fuse and everybody starts becoming cautious around
you. If the waiting continues, then just anybody will know that something is amiss. By
then, you have become a totally different person.

The story is told in the book of John chapter 5 about a man lying at a pool waiting on the
Angel that stirs the water once a year. When Jesus got to him and asked if he would be
made whole, he said, “I have no man….” You know that’s what happens to us sometimes
when the waiting becomes unbearable. At this stage one has developed a pattern of
thinking; ‘God has abandoned me, so are my people, nobody seem to care about my
predicaments’. Now, considering the question Jesus asked this man and the answer that
he gave, one is able to understand his mind set. Though he was waiting on God for
breakthrough, he blames everyone especially his family members for the delays. He
reasoned that if they had been taking shift on him, at least at the stirring of the water, they
will be able to help him in.

Jesus asking him the question was just an opportunity for him to pour out his frustrations.
If ever you have read this story, you will observe that Jesus was not much concerned
about his story and anguish, rather He told him to take his bed and rise. Unlike many of
us this man shut his mouth and obeyed the instruction he was given. What if he had
continued with his song of lamentation rather take up his bed? He would have remained
in his state not because healing was not available through Jesus, but because he refused to
obey instructions.

There is nothing wrong in you expressing your emotions, the problem is allowing your
emotions get in the way of what God wants to do or is doing in your life. There are
times in life when our emotions take the better of us because of the overwhelming
effect of the situation at hand, at such times we tend to believe subconsciously that
our tears may or will move the hand of God to act on our behalf. My brethren, if you
must express your emotion in any situation never let it take up your faith in God. For the
scripture says that the prayer of faith will save but not the prayer of fear or anguish.
Emotion over expressed could make you lose sight of God even though it is His attention
you are after.

At such time, you would have moved to self pity, thinking that something must be wrong
with you, wondering why God had forsaken you and that my friend does not express faith
neither does it bring glory to Him. Infact, you are not pleasing Him with your songs of
lamentation for the scripture says only faith pleases God (Heb11:6).

So no matter how long it may seem before the manifestation of your breakthrough, no
matter how difficult things may look now and not withstanding the gloom because there
seem to be no end in sight, if you still believe that God is on your case, believe that He
never fails and He cannot fail you, then, you cannot keep asking how long. You must
walk this life with the knowing that God is still on the throne and that He still
rewards faith, that He is never late and that He is faithful. So if you must cry at all,
cry with your faith intact, cry deep and hard but let the devil know that you still
believe in God. Refuse to fall for his lies to make you doubt the ability of your God.
Don’t permit the devil make you to disdain your God.

Moreover, the Bible says in Mk11:24 that whatever you desired should be a prayer point
and once you have prayed believe that you received it. Now, verse 23 says you should
believe before you speak, so as a believer, it means your faith in God should be
steadfast before you pray because you believe His word, your faith should be strong
when praying because your God answers prayers and your faith should be
unflinching after you prayed because it is impossible for God to lie. The later part of
Vs 24 says believe you receive what you prayed for and you shall have them, so when do
you think you receive your breakthrough? Ofcourse according to the scripture it is
immediately you prayed.

In other words, it is abnormal for a child of God to be asking God how long; when he
had already believed that he received the answer to his request when he prayed. So rather
than for you to be crying how long you should be thanking God for His answer to your
prayer for the scripture say until you believe you receive what you prayed for you will
not have it. Ladies and gentlemen, the longest time it takes for receiving anything
from God is between your desiring it and asking in faith.

In the final analysis, patience is not a passive word in Christendom. To be patient as a

Christian is to be too convinced about God to be shakened. It is walking in the assurance
of what you have already received by faith which you know will surely manifest. To be
patient is not to say ‘why me’, ‘poor me’ ‘how long’ but rather being full of expectation
for the best knowing that every trial will surely be a blessing.

Are you being tried by the world economic gloom? Are there things challenging you right
now? Are you in a lock jam with no end in sight? Do you desire a divine intervention in
your life? Do you have hopes, dreams, visions and desires begging for manifestation?
Have you prayed? Did you believe in your prayer? Do you still believe? Then you might
as well put on your dancing shoes for you have moved past how long to it is done.
Congratulations!!!!