“Why is God taking so long to answer?”

Have you been praying hard for God to work in your life? Scripture tells us that God hears our prayers; yet we might wait years for His answers. Eventually, though, His response can be greater than anything we can expect.

God Might Say “Yes; Here Is More”

God promised His people, “I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). Many people don’t realize that God’s plan for Israel involved 70 long years of suffering under Babylonian exile. It was a good plan, but it was far from instant success. So we must trust Him, even when relief or fulfillment seem to take forever.

The Example of Job

When we meet Job in the Bible, he has it all: wealth, family, friends, and trust in God. But in the blink of an eye, his riches were plundered and his family wiped out. Terrible physical suffering soon followed. But his trust in God remained; he declared, “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the Name of the Lord!” (Job 1:21). Nearly forty chapters later, after hearing from God directly, Job humbled himself before God, and prayed for his friends. Only then, “the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!” (Job 42:10). Again we see God responding and blessing in a great way, but only in His time.

The Forgiveness of the Messiah

As He was being crucified, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). What amazing love our Lord displayed! And the Father showed His “yes” response, offering forgiveness to the Jews who demanded His execution, as well as the Romans who carried out the deed. That plan of unimaginable forgiveness extends to all people: “this is God’s plan: [all] who believe the Good News share equally in [God’s] riches. [They] enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:6).