The Lord’s promise that I am standing on with unwavering faith is that He will execute justice on the works of darkness and deliver this nation from those who oppose Him. He has spoken to His prophets, millions of intercessors, and countless believers across the world that THIS is His time for righteous rulers to come forth and displace the wicked!
And yet, the longer that time passes…this promise seems delayed.
We’ve been expecting breakthroughs at various points in the journey, and the goalpost continues to move. It’s getting harder to hang on to hope that anything is going to change. Do we take this as a sign of a false word or fleshly dream? Do we assume it’s not His time after all? Or, is it possible that His word is simply being delayed?
In Matthew 24:45-51, Jesus told His followers to be ready for His return. Though they didn’t know the time or hour, they were commissioned to be faithful stewards of His word and occupy until. Referring to the days of Noah, He insinuated that many hearts would grow cold when not seeing the fulfillment of prophetic words (“Rain? What rain!?”) In 2 Peter 3, we are reminded of the power of God’s WORD that overrides circumstances, time tables, and human expectations. Regardless of outer appearances, if God says it, God will do it. Period.
A similar promise is given in Ezekiel 12:21-27:
The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing?’ Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled. For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel. But I the LORD will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign LORD.’”
As the prophet says in Habakkuk 2:3, For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Even so, it’s hard to wait! Because we begin to wonder. And yet, if we can lean into His word, the breakthrough may be just around the corner. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A man is not a hero because he is braver than anyone else, but because he is braver ten minutes longer.” Sounds almost biblical.
Another interesting passage that speaks about delay and our tendency to act prematurely is found in Exodus 32. It is here that Moses has already led the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt, but they haven’t entered the promised land yet. They are wandering in the wilderness when Moses is called away. Their inability to wait cost them dearly.
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”
When Moses was called up the mountain to receive the tablets of the law from the Lord, he told the people that he would return. But evidently, he did not say exactly when. They never dreamed it would take so long. Due to their impatience, they quickly turned back to the gods of their past and, as a result, lost their true inheritance.
Numerous prophets have had dreams and visions of President Trump being likened to Moses – a deliverer of people. Obviously, Jesus is our only Savior and Redeemer, and no one will ever compare to Him or His place in the redemption story. And yet, throughout history, God has used significant change agents on the earth for significant times. But, even as the Lord has removed President Trump for a time, we cannot merely wait for him to return. Our job is to put our trust in the Lord and in His promise to bring supernatural turnarounds.
Sometimes, the delays of promises are due to enemy interference (1 Thessalonians 2:18). There’s no doubt that those who oppose the ways of God are delaying the inevitable for as long as possible. Those who have sided with an anti-God, anti-faith system know they’ve lost. They know the consequences of their actions and will do anything they can do to delay their destruction. This is why we must be steadfast in our prayers and in our declarations of God’s word so that HIS judgments can be rendered quickly.
Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. (Ecclesiastes 8:11-12)
I truly believe that heaven has all the proof needed to render just decisions on the earth. We simply need to stand in agreement with the courts of heaven and declare God’s righteous reign upon the earth (see Luke 18:7-8).
Here are some additional scriptures to declare as we stand in faith for God’s promises to be brought forth speedily! Declare them out loud and share them to encourage others.
Psalm 37:32-34
The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.
Psalm 10:15-18
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none. The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
Psalms 34:21-22
Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalms 94:20-23
Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute? They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.
Isaiah 26:11-13
O LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed. Let the fire for your adversaries consume them. O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. O LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance.
Malachi 4:1-3
For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.
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This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Wanda Alger
Featured Image by Rosie Kerr on Unsplash
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