Bible Reading: Ezekiel 11,12,13: James 1
“Therefore, say unto them, thus saith the Lord God; there shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God.” Ezekiel 12:28 (KJV)
Most of us, if not every one of us, have experienced unfulfilled or delayed manifestation of the word of God. At first, we are certain that this is what God has said and in so and so time, it will be, but as the time came for the fulfillment of those words and there was no hope in sight, doubt begins to creep in. We begin to wonder if we heard correctly or if those words really were meant for us. This is a regular occurrence in the Christian walk.
The children of Israel were no different. They said to themselves, “…the days are prolonged and every vision faileth…” Ezekiel 12:22. Like us, they seem to have experienced a lack of fulfillment of the words of God spoken by His prophet. It had even become a parable in the Land. The words of prophecy do not come to pass they said. In verse 27, they said “…The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.” God had promised the return of the exiled, but it seemed to be taking too long. The Lord knew the things which they were saying and so He sent His word again through His prophet to them. They needed to be reassured that the words of the Lord do not fail. To the prophet Isaiah the Lord also spoke similar words of encouragement when He said, “…So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 (KJV). These words are today for you and me.
When we pray to God, He answers us our prayer based on His all-knowing power not according to our knowledge which is partial and very limited. Most times we pray and expect an immediate answer, but God in His infinite wisdom and knowledge Knows the best time and condition to provide us with our request. Serving God require patience and trust. We must have the confidence in His promise and trust in Him for whatever He has promised us no matter how long it has delayed. We must believe that He is working out for us a better solution to our request. This is the reason why Apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews 10:36(KJV), “For ye have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Patience, endurance and longsuffering are priceless attributes a Christian must possess. The patience and trust of Abraham and Sarah gave them Isaac, Hannah’s longsuffering produced Samuel. God is not a captive of time; He operates by His superior knowledge to answer our prayers. Faith is not just immediate result but a strong tenacious hold on divine promises without wavering.
The words of the Lord do not fail. And, it might have taken long, but today, the Lord is saying that “…It will not be prolonged…” The time for the fulfillment of God’s word spoken to you will surely come
The prophet in Habakkuk 2:3(KJV) Says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” I admonish you brethren to know that God is not slack concerning His promises.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for Your word of hope. Help me to have faith as I await the fulfillment of Your word in Jesus name.
Bro. Joel Ezeugo