Seemingly Slow

Seemingly Slow

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. Habakkuk 2:3, ESV

IT’S BOTH FASCINATING AND ALARMING how often this thought—If it seems slow—comes up in the life of faith. God is able to do things extremely quickly when he wants to. He can suddenly turn the tables on evil, open or close a door, and solve a problem we’ve been wrestling with for years. Of course, he has foreseen it all from the beginning; nothing is actually sudden to him. God has had all of eternity to lay the groundwork for his plans. But from our point of reference, he can act quickly. And, from that same point of reference, we are discouraged when he does not.

We are well-acquainted with slow processes of faith. As beings who have only so many decades to work out our earthly journey, we easily grow frustrated with the plans of a timeless God. But this is how he works. He can be excruciatingly thorough in preparing our situations and hearts for the appointed fulfillment. Generations, even centuries, passed before the prophesied Savior came in the fullness of time. Nearly two millennia have passed since he said he was coming again and since Peter assured us that God is not slow in keeping his promises (2 Peter 3:9). What may seem long to us is normal for God.

That gives us plenty of opportunity to exercise faith. Habakkuk was told that his vision would hasten until fulfillment, that it was not a lie, that even if it seemed like it was delayed, it wasn’t delayed. There’s a reason Scripture gives us such examples and assurances. We have to be told that our perceptions are not entirely accurate—that God is at work even when we don’t see him working. The good news is those assurances come with the promise that God is more than capable of accomplishing his will. When he gives a vision, it does not lie. His promises are certainties. Faith-filled hearts are trained in patience, and faith will most certainly become sight at the appointed time.

When the dream in our heart is one that God has planted there . . . all of the spiritual resources of the universe are released to help us.