Is Jesus ever late?

“[As for me] I am poor and needy, yet the Lord takes thought and plans for me.

You are my Help and my Deliverer, O my God, do not tarry!”

Psalm 40:17

 

Is the Lord ever late?

As I think on this question there are things I am trusting Him for. Some of those things

are things that need to happen in the next few days and the next month. Some of the other things

have passed the timeline I made for them.

 

Is the Lord ever late?

 

As I continued to meditate on Psalm 40:17 Jairus came to mind.

His daughter was really sick and if nothing was done she would die. He decided to go to Jesus for help.

If there was anyone who could help He could. (Mark 5:22)

Everything seemed to be going well. Jesus had agreed to go to see his daughter but on the way,

some of his friends met him and told him not to worry the Teacher any longer. His daughter

didn’t make it. She had died.

Jesus was late?

But when all seemed lost, when it seemed like Jesus was late something incredible happened.

 

“Overhearing but ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not

be seized and struck with fear; only keep believing.”

Mark 5:36

 

Jesus continued on to Jairus’s house and brought his daughter back to life!!

When it seemed like He was late, He really wasn’t.

Help us, Lord, to wait on You when all seems lost, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense!

 

The last story that came to mind was of Lazarus and his sisters. (John 11)

He was very sick and on the brink of death so his sisters sent for Jesus.

He loved this family very much. (John 11:5)

So you would think Jesus would go immediately but He didn’t.

 

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [They were His dear friends, and He 

held them in loving esteem.]

Therefore [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He still stayed two days longer in the same 

place where He was.” 

John 11:5, 6

 

By the time He got to Lazarus, He found out he had been dead for four days! I think it’s almost definite

that the sisters thought Jesus was late, extremely late! I can imagine them seeing their brother getting worse

and worse and feeling so powerless. Where is He? Why is He late?

That’s what I think they were asking themselves.  And eventually, their brother died.

What emotions were they going through?

 

I can identify with that because there have been things in my life I have been trusting God for that haven’t

come to pass yet and it’s been years, like over fifteen years of waiting on the Lord. Earlier in my walk with

Him I thought He didn’t care. I thought He enjoyed seeing me suffer. I thought He enjoyed getting my

hopes up only to crush them but I was so wrong. As I have grown in my walk with Him I have begun to

understand that the Lord is never late! His word shows us this truth so powerfully. There are so many stories

of Him coming through for His children at just the right time. Their idea of early might have been

wrong but God always came through at the right time.

 

What are you waiting on Him for, today?

As we ask the Lord to not tarry may we understand that He is never late. He comes through

at the right time. It may not be when we expect it but it’s at the right time.

He knows what you need. He has heard your prayers. He will not ignore you and He does not delight in

getting your hopes up. He wants to give you what you are trusting Him for.

Don’t lose heart and give up. The Lord will not tarry.

He loves you!

 

Bless you

 

Rolain

 

 

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He gave him back his strength…

“He answered them, The Man who healed me and gave me back my strength, He Himself

said to me, Pick up your bed and walk! 

John 5:11

 

For thirty-eight years the enemy had stolen the man’s health. For thirty-eight years he was under the

power of the enemy. The enemy thought he had won. But he was wrong. The story was not over.

 

The enemy is all about taking stuff away from us. From the moment he was cast out of heaven he

has been stealing, destroying and killing. he doesn’t want us to have the good things God has for us.

But there is some really good news for us.

 

“He answered them, The Man who healed me and gave me back my strength, He Himself

said to me, Pick up your bed and walk!

John 5:11 (emphasis mine)

 

Jesus gave the man back his strength which enabled him to walk again. The enemy’s hold on

the man was broken.

As I read this there are things the enemy has stolen from me that I want back.

The Lord came to restore what was stolen from me. He wants me to have all the goodness

and blessings He planned for me and so it is with you.

 

What has the enemy stolen from you? The Lord wants to give you back what the enemy has stolen.

It may take a day, a month or years but the Lord wants to restore to you what has been taken. The enemy

might think he is in the driving seat but he never was and will never be.

The Lord is gracious and merciful and fights for us!

 

Rolain

Bad news doesn’t mean the end of you…

We live in a world that is saturated with evil. But how do you respond

when bad things happen? Just the other day I got some news that was bad but I had to stop myself. How was

I going to respond to it. was I going to freak out and lose it? Was I going to let fear get the best of

me?

We always have a choice of how we respond to bad news.

 

Jairus was in trouble. His daughter was very sick and he needed help. That is when he decided to go to

Jesus for help. All was going well. He met with Jesus and told Him his problem and Jesus agreed

to go with him to his daughter. But on his way to his daughter something happened;

 

“While He was still speaking, there came some from the ruler’s house, who said [to Jairus], 

Your daughter has died. Why bother and distress the Teacher any further?”

Mark 5:35

 

In that split second Jairus’s world collapsed. His daughter died. Despair was already walking through the

door of his soul.

Like I said before, we live in a world that is saturated with evil. Bad things happen. But how we respond

is so important. Let’s move on.

 

Despair was almost through the door but before it could make itself comfortable Jesus stepped in.

 

“Overhearing but ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, 

Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear; only keep on believing.” 

Mark 5:36

 

In the face of bad news, Jesus told Jairus to believe and not give in to fear. He told him to believe

that He could turn things around.

We don’t have to give in to the bad news that comes our way. I don’t know what kind of news you

have received today but you don’t have to accept it. There is another option. You have another

choice. You can keep on believing…

You can decide to keep trusting God instead of giving in to fear, instead of accepting the bad news

you have been given. It takes faith to do that. Choosing to trust God over believing the bad news

takes faith and only faith.

 

King David was another man who had to deal with some really bad news. When he got back to

Ziklag he found his home had been plundered. The enemy had taken everything of his and his soldiers.

Their families were taken, their possessions were gone. There was nothing left.  There was even talk

among the soldiers of killing David. He was in a really bad place but he did something really amazing.

Let’s take a look at what he did;

 

“David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them

all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. 

But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” 

1 Samuel 30:6

 

His hope in the face of the bad news was in the Lord. He didn’t let fear overcome him. Instead,

he encouraged himself in the Lord. He reminded himself of how good the Lord was to him.

He brought to remembrance how the Lord delivered him from his enemies!

(That’s what I think he was doing!)

 

How do we respond to bad news? I hope you can see it’s really important how you respond.

You can either accept what has happened or make a decision to put your hope in the Lord.

Let’s make the right decision today, the decision to trust God.

Bless you, friends!

 

Rolain

 

 

The place of isolation.

“So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, send me David your son, 

who is with the sheep.” 

 

David was in an isolated place away from people and yet Saul knew where to find him.

How did that happen?

He was alone for the most part of his day. It wasn’t the coolest, hippest place to hang out

I can imagine but it’s in that place that David’s relationship with God was developed. It’s in that

place he communed and worshipped God. He learned to trust God in that place. It’s in that place

he fought a lion and a bear and God delivered him from them both. (1 Samuel 17:37)

 

You might be in a place where people don’t see you or even recognize you but know this,

the Lord knows exactly where you are. Be patient where you are. The Lord is at work in you

and is directing your every step.

 

“Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, 

The Lord has not chosen any of these. 

Then [he] said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? [Jesse] said, There is yet the youngest; 

he is tending the sheep. 

Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here. 

Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes and

was fine-looking. 

The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he.”

1 Samuel 16:10-12

 

David’s father forgot about David and had to be asked if he had another son but that will never

happen with God.  Like I said before, He knows where you are.

Don’t despise the place you are in today. It might not be the most exciting place to be or the most

fulfilling and can even be frustrating but God has a plan for your life. He knows what He is doing.

 

“Now Eliab his eldest brother heard what he said to the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled

against David and he said, Why did you come here? 

With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumption and 

evilness of heart; for you came down that you might see the battle.” 

1 Samuel 17:28

 

“With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?”

 

Did David’s brother have an understanding of what was happening in the wilderness with

those “few sheep”?

I don’t think he had the slightest clue.

The place of isolation was very important. It prepared David to fight Goliath and win!

It prepared him for the things God planned for him.

 

So today, don’t underestimate what God is doing in you and through you. He has not forgotten you.

He is working in and through the circumstances you are facing and even though it may seem like

you are alone you are not.

I was getting frustrated with where I was in my life but I began to realize that God was in total control.

He IS in total control and there is nothing that happens in my life or your life that catches

Him by surprise. You may have been in a place for a long time and it seems like things won’t change

but I am here to say that things will change for you. God is faithful and will not abandon you.

Man will let you down but not God. Look to Him alone.

He sees you in your place of isolation!

Bless you friends

 

Rolain

 

 

What’s the deal with fear?

I was deep in thought thinking about how I was going to make it.

Wondering how the bills would get paid.

Wondering how my life would turn out in the midst of such opposition.

As I thought on those things fear gripped my heart. I was afraid.

 

But it was at that exact moment that I realized something about fear.

 

Fear was not going to tell me everything would be okay.

 

I should expect no encouragement from fear. It is not an option thinker. All it thinks and

sees is negative. It’s not optimistic.

It will never direct me to God in any situation.

It wants me paralyzed.

It wants me to fail.

It doesn’t want me to see God.

It wants me hopeless and discouraged.

 

Fear chooses to forget God in difficult circumstances.

It can’t love, it can’t trust, it can’t hope.

It focuses on the worst possible outcome in any situation we face when it knows there is a better

outcome in God.

Fear ALWAYS sees the negatives in everything and CHOOSES to ignore the positives.

Or in other words, it chooses to see the dead ends, the failure, the death and refuses to see

light at the end of the tunnel, the hope, the answer!

 

And that is why we can’t listen to fear. As I let fear grip me, all I thought about

were the negatives.

 

But the truth of the matter is that there was another option.

There was a better and more positive outcome if I allowed my faith in God to take the lead instead of fear.

Let me rephrase that, there IS a better and more positive outcome…

 

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), 

but (He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind

and discipline and self-control. 

2 Timothy 1:7

 

As we walk out our faith in God, fear will always try to get in the way. It will try to disrupt the faith

we have put in God. Let us fight against fear no matter how long it takes.

This battle can’t be won in our own strength. We need God’s help to show us the areas we

have allowed fear to dominate us. We need His help to overcome Fear so we can move forward

in what God has for us.

The Lord is with us in this fight and leading the charge!

Bless you, friends.

 

Rolain

 

 

 

We are happy when we go to Him for help!

“I asked the Lord for help, and He answered me. 

He saved me from all that I feared. Those who go to Him

for help are happy. They are never disgraced.”

Psalm 34:4, 5

 

I needed to hear that today and thought you did too!

We need His help today and we will need His help tomorrow.

We simply have to ask for it and He will answer.

Life can be tough and unbearable at times but the Lord doesn’t want us going through it alone.

We should never get to a place where we deal with problems without Him. He cares about every

part of our lives and wants to help. He doesn’t like seeing us suffer.

He wants to bring to an end the things that are tripping us up. He wants to stop the trials

from having victory over us. He wants us to win. He wants us to be victorious.

 

Let me say this, the trouble you are facing today will pass because the Lord is helping you.

No matter how dim things appear they will get better. Trust in the Lord. He has got you.

He is on your side. The enemy will not win.

Ask the Lord for His help always.

Bless you, friends.

 

Rolain

Rethink your value

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground

without your Father’s leave (consent) and notice.

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Fear not, then; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Matthew 10:29-31

There is a need to rethink and reshape the way we see ourselves. We are extremely

valuable in God’s eyes. Not everyone sees the value but that’s okay as long as we know

where to go to for affirmation. I made the mistake of looking for people to tell me what

my value was. It didn’t go well. But that has changed thankfully. I have been learning to turn

to God to tell me my value and the learning will continue.

Let’s look at the story of the woman who washed Jesus’ feet. This is what the bible tells us

about her;

“And behold, a woman of the town who was an especially wicked sinner, when she learned

that He was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of

ointment (perfume).”

“Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw it, he said to himself, if this Man were 

a prophet, He would surely know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching

Him-for she is a notorious sinner (a social outcast, devoted to sin). 

Luke 7:36-50

To the people around her because of her profession she had no value. She was looked down

upon by the people in her community. It’s clear the Pharisee only saw the ugly in her but

Jesus looked deeper. He saw her true value and welcomed her.

No matter what you have done, you are still valuable to God. He doesn’t reject and throw you

away. He doesn’t disown you. He loves you so much.

Man’s opinion of you will always change. They will love you in one moment and in the very next

moment stone you and that is why it’s important to know what God thinks of you. His opinion of

you is not up for debate. It doesn’t change.  He loves you full stop!

Like I said at the beginning of this post, it’s time to rethink our value. It’s time to challenge the opinions

of people who don’t have our best interests at heart. Whose goal is to tear you down and belittle you.

It’s time to let go of people’s negative thoughts about us and embrace how God sees you fully.

You are valuable in His eyes!

Rolain

When we have been let down, and we let down, God doesn’t…!

“God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, 

that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He promised]. 

Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not 

make it good?” 

Numbers 23:19

 

We have been let down on countless occasions. Heck, we have let others down on

countless occasions and the temptation is to look at everything through that filter.

But that is not the case with the Lord. He will never let us down. He will always keep

His word no matter what. He won’t back down or retract any promise

He made to you. The enemy might make you think God has given up on you but

He hasn’t. He loves you and won’t back down on what He promised you.

 

Don’t lose heart and don’t get weary in the waiting. God is faithful and will come through for

you. He has not forgotten about that problem you are having. He has not gone deaf to

your prayer. He hears you loud and clear and will help you. He is not a man…

He doesn’t belittle

He is not spiteful

He doesn’t abandon

He is not judgemental

Don’t think there is ever a time He gets tired of listening to you.

He is not a man…

 

Because He is not a man you can trust Him. He wants you to trust Him!

He will bring to pass every promise He has ever made to you. I know that’s a bold statement

but it’s true. It’s something I am coming to grips with as well.

You don’t need to worry.

He loves you and He is faithful to you!

Bless you, friends!

 

Rolain

 

We have a chance to win…

The fight we are in is not an easy one. The enemies we face are strong, intimidating

and formidable. Their goal is to take us down, to make us fail.

On our own, we are seriously outnumbered and outgunned. Do we have a chance?

Can we win when the odds are stacked heavily against us?

As I look at my own life and the challenges I face it can be intimidating and overwhelming

at times. There are times I can’t see a way out or an answer. There are times I feel

completely powerless and not sure how things will work out but this week

I have been thinking about victory. I believe the Lord has been showing me

I have a chance. Even though the enemy seems like a mountain blocking

my way I believe I have a chance, we have a chance!

No matter how gigantic the enemy is or how impossible our situation is we have

a chance because God is with us. Let’s look at a story that beautifully portrays this,

 

“Now four men who were lepers were at the entrance of the city’s gate; 

and they said to one another, Why do we sit here until we die? 

If we say, We will enter the city-then the famine is in the city, and we shall die

there; and if we sit still here, we die also. So come now, let us go over to the army

of the Syrians. If they spare us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, 

we shall but die.” 

2 Kings 7:3-16

 

The lepers were in a dire situation. They had no weapons,

they were heavily outnumbered and had very limited options but God made a way for

them. Because God was with them the lepers had a chance. With everything against them,

God turned their hopeless situation around for good.

 

We have a chance against the hordes that stand in our way. God will not abandon us.

Have hope because you will win. The Lord will carry you through the valley of death.

He is faithful and can be trusted.

Be encouraged today!

 

Bless you, friends.

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

When bad things happen…

“Even when bad things happen to the godly ones, 

the Lord will save them and not let them be defeated by what they face.” 

Psalm 34:19 (TPT)

 

Life can be unpredictable. One moment you are having a great day then the next moment

something bad happens.

It makes me think of the time I had a car accident. One moment I was trying to sleep in the back

seat and in the next moment the car lost control. Thankfully no one was injured.

God saved us that day because at the speed we were going we

should have come out much worse.

 

But the thing is this, even though life throws curve balls at us God can be depended upon.

When bad things happen we can turn to Him for help because He will save us. No matter what

the enemy throws at us we will survive it because God is true to His word. We may fall but

we will also get up again and again and again. We won’t stay down.

If you are in trouble today pray to Him. He will help you.

He will save you from the trouble you are facing.

 

He protects us from every trouble!

 

Enjoy your weekend friends…

 

Rolain