Have you ever felt that God was late in answering your prayers? Many believers face seasons of waiting, silence, or delay that leave them questioning His timing. In John chapter 11, we find a powerful account where Jesus deliberately delayed His response to an urgent plea from those He loved. Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, fell gravely ill. His sisters sent word to Jesus: “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” Yet Jesus waited two more days before heading to Bethany. By the time He arrived, Lazarus had been dead four days. This story challenges our assumptions about divine timing and reveals profound reasons behind apparent delays.
He is teaching us
Waiting often serves as God’s classroom. When Martha met Jesus, she said, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee” (John 11:21-22, KJV). She thought she understood the situation, but the delay taught her deeper trust and reliance on Christ. Silent periods or unanswered prayers force us to learn patience, dependence, and faith in God’s sovereignty. Just as the children of Israel wandered forty years due to unbelief and faced repeated tests, God may allow delays so we grasp lessons we might otherwise miss. These times refine our character and draw us closer to Him.
He’s growing us
Delays also strengthen our faith. After Jesus told Martha, “Thy brother shall rise again,” she responded with knowledge of a future resurrection. But Jesus pressed further: “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” Martha then declared, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” (John 11:23-27, KJV).
Her faith grew from mere knowledge to personal trust. Spiritual growth requires resistance, much like muscles strengthen through effort and strain. Prayers that seem unanswered or circumstances that linger build endurance and deepen reliance on who God is, not just what He does.
He’s working around us
God’s timing often extends beyond our personal needs. Jesus told His disciples, “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him” (John 11:15, KJV). The delay allowed the disciples to witness greater evidence of His power. When Jesus arrived and saw the weeping, “he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled” (John 11:33, KJV). Many Jews who observed the miracle “believed on him” (John 11:45, KJV).
Our trials may become turning points for others. How we respond in hardship influences those watching: family, friends, or even strangers. A faithful testimony during delay can point people toward Christ.
He’s doing something greater than we can see
Mary and Martha hoped for healing, but Jesus planned resurrection. They asked for restoration from sickness; He delivered victory over death. Lazarus emerged alive after four days, bound in graveclothes. Jesus prayed publicly, “And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 11:42, KJV).
God frequently accomplishes far more than we request. As Ephesians 3:20 reminds us, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (KJV). What appears as delay often opens doors to greater works aligned with His perfect plan.
In the story of Lazarus, what seemed like divine tardiness was divine design. Jesus knew the outcome from the beginning. The sickness was “not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4, KJV). God’s delays ultimately serve His glory and our good.
If you are in a season of waiting, take heart. Trust that God is at work. Teaching, growing, influencing others, and preparing something greater. Surrender your timeline to Him, knowing His ways lead to greater glory and blessing.
May this truth encourage your faith today.
