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Most of us, if not all of us, have experienced a delay in a journey. Most certainly, we have all experienced a simple travel delay caused by circumstances outside of our control. But the type of delay i’m referring to is related to our life journey. We set out on a path that we believed God had set our feet upon only to encounter an unexpected delay that either went on – or is still going on – for what seems like an eternity. If you find yourself being delayed even now, i encourage you to take a reminder from this delay in the apostle Paul’s life journey.(1)
He was being detained because he had been accused of treason. But there were no witnesses and there was no evidence to support such a charge. If Paul was guilty of treason, according to Roman law, he should have been put to death. But, once the governor had heard the charges against Paul as presented by his accusers, he clearly saw that there was no basis for those charges. Legally, the governor should have let Paul go free right there and then. He didn’t even need to hear Paul’s defense. The prosecution had failed to make its case!
But the Roman governor, above all else, had become a crafty politician. He did not want to needlessly antagonize the Jewish leaders. In order to retain his position as governor of the province, he needed to keep peace with the Jews. And in order to keep peace with the Jews, he needed the religious leaders to see him as an ally – at least in this matter – and not as an adversary. He was more concerned about doing what was politically expedient than he was about doing what was right. He was quite content to keep Paul unjustly imprisoned because it fulfilled his end purpose. Though he said that he wanted to hear from a key witness before he made any decision regarding Paul, there is no indication that the witness was ever asked to give such a report at any time over the two years that followed.
Throughout those two years, Paul repeatedly was given opportunity to preach the Good News to the governor and his wife. But on each occasion, the governor continued to put off making any decision until “the next time”. The writer of the Book of Acts tells us that part of the reason for the governor’s delay as time went on was his hope that Paul would pay him a bribe. He even made it easy for Paul to arrange such a bribe by allowing his friends “to visit him and take care of his needs.” But no bribe every materialized, so Paul remained a prisoner.
It would have been customary for the governor to release Paul from prison when he was turning over rule of the province to his successor, Porcius Festus. But even on that occasion, the outgoing governor was more concerned about the political capital he was earning by keeping Paul imprisoned than he was with doing the right thing.
If we read all of this at face value and attribute Paul’s extended imprisonment to the decisions of the governor, we will have missed the whole point. This was God’s plan, not the governor’s. This delay was a part of the plan that the Holy Spirit confirmed when He told Paul that he would “preach the Good News in Rome.”(2) Paul would not only preach to Romans in Rome; he would preach to Romans along the way.
Paul’s experience can best be described as a divine delay. Divine delays are not necessarily momentary – though they can be. The divine delays that i’m talking about are those seasons that continue for an extended period of time – often with no apparent reason for what is causing the delay.
Scripture is full of people who were delayed by God. Abraham and Sarah waited twenty-five years for the son God promised to give them. Jacob worked for Laban for fourteen years in order to receive the hand of Rachel in marriage. Joseph waited thirteen years to rise from the pit of his imprisonment to the throne room of Pharaoh. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years before they entered the Promised Land. Fifteen years passed between the time that David was anointed king and the time he actually ascended to the throne. The one hundred twenty disciples waited eight days in the upper room for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon them. And Paul remained imprisoned for two years by the governor.
What are we to do while we wait in that waiting room of delay? i know the simple answer is “trust God”. But what more has God shown us through the life of Paul and others in Scripture.
First, embrace the promise God has given you. And if you don’t have a promise, ask Him for one! God is at work through every detail of our lives to bring glory to His Name. We have the tendency to live with the myopic view that everything is about us. It isn’t! God created the heavens and the earth and all of us who dwell within it for His purpose – not ours. Everything we have is from Him. Our very lives belong to Him. Every person that i mentioned from Scripture received a promise from God. Abraham and Sarah were told they would have a son. Jacob was promised that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth. Joseph was promised that his family would bow before him. The Israelites were promised a land in which they would worship God. David was promised the throne. The disciples were promised the Helper. And Paul was given the promise he would preach in Rome. Keep God’s promise before you and don’t let go of it.
Second, remember that a delay is not inactivity. We must walk in obedience, doing all that God has placed before us to do, while we are awaiting the fulfillment of His promise. For Abraham, it included rescuing his nephew. For Joseph, it included being a faithful steward in prison. For David, it included slaying the giant Goliath. For the disciples, it included worshiping in the Temple under the watchful eyes of the very leaders who had arranged to have Jesus crucified. For Paul, it involved preaching to the governor and his wife. Delays are rarely times to just sit back; more often they are a time to press forward in what we know God has called us to do. There is always a temptation to step out on our own to try and find a shortcut around the delay. Abraham and Sarah attempted to do that. Their efforts resulted in the birth of Ishmael, when God’s promise was Isaac. Don’t sit idly by. Take the path God puts before you. But make sure it is His path.
Third, acknowledge that His timing is perfect. God is at work in ways we will never know to accomplish His purpose in His perfect timing. We all know that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in that upper room on the Day of Pentecost – but, let’s remember why it was significant that the Holy Spirit came on thatday. Pentecost is a Greek name. The Jews called it the “Festival of the Harvest.” The festival celebrated the first fruits of the harvest season. With the arrival of His Holy Spirit on the “Festival of the Harvest”, God was signifying that the harvest of the first fruits of salvation had now begun. Three thousand people were baptized that day. The church was birthed. His harvest had begun – on the “Festival of the Harvest”. His timing is perfect. He will often delay our journey until it coincides with His perfect timing – and then, He will hasten it. He, Himself, has said, “I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it.”(3)
If you are in the midst of a delay, take heart – there is an end to the delay! It will end with His promise being fulfilled and with Him being glorified. No matter how much time it takes, no matter how long you have been delayed in the waiting room, remember He will complete what He has begun! Hold onto that promise… no matter how long it takes!
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This post is adapted from Until He Returns, chapter 56, entitled “A Divine Delay” This sixth book in the Lessons Learned In The Wilderness series is available through Amazon in print or for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy of the book.
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Also, for a more in-depth look at the life of the apostle Paul, i invite you to read my book, Through the Eyes of a Prisoner. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy of the book.
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(1) Acts 24:10-27 (NLT)
Paul said, “I know, sir, that you have been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years, so I gladly present my defense before you. You can quickly discover that I arrived in Jerusalem no more than twelve days ago to worship at the Temple. My accusers never found me arguing with anyone in the Temple, nor stirring up a riot in any synagogue or on the streets of the city. These men cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing. But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a cult. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the prophets…. Ask these men here what crime the Jewish high council found me guilty of….” At that point Felix, who was quite familiar with the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, “Wait until Lysias, the garrison commander, arrives. Then I will decide the case.” He ordered an officer to keep Paul in custody but to give him some freedom and allow his friends to visit him and take care of his needs. A few days later Felix came back with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish. Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.” He also hoped that Paul would bribe him, so he sent for him quite often and talked with him. After two years went by in this way, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish people, he left Paul in prison.
(2) Acts 23:11 (NLT)
(3) Isaiah 60:22 (ESV)
Copyright © 2022 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.
Photo: Mamertine Prison by Todd Bolen/BiblePlaces.com used with permission.