God has an appointed time for everything under the sun. From the very beginning when He created this world, He put time in place - Genesis 1:3-5 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
In the same way, God has times and seasons for everything. Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. When God promised Abraham a child, it took so many Earthly years to be fulfilled, and then finally, a year to when Isaac was born God again said to Abraham - Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”Genesis 18:14
God has an appointed time for every plan of His, and when the time is not due we may do all we can in vain. Before God's appointed time, Abraham had Ishmael. In his human thinking, Abraham found a substitute for God's promise. His substitute was allowed by God because God respects the free will He has given to men. This free will most at times lands us into trouble, that is when we exercise it out of God's perfect will. God's perfect will cannot be forced into being, it has a time set in Heaven.
Nevertheless, it can be delayed by battles. In Daniel 9:2, Daniel understood by the Word of God given through Jeremiah that they would be in captivity for seventy years. He knew the time was up for their deliverance so he sought God in prayer and repentance. We learn in Daniel 10 that as soon as Daniel humbled himself in seeking God, God answered him, but the answer was withheld in a battle in the heavenlies -
“Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.
Daniel was praying for forgiveness of the sins of God's children, for by studying the prophesies of God through Jeremiah, he realised it was time for their freedom, and knew they were still bound because of their sins. Our decisions, sins and associations can delay the plans of God for our lives. Daniel's humility before God caused God to be compassionate towards him and to grant his request. However, there was another hurdle to his receiving the answer from God. The angel God sent to him was fought by other forces in Persia - Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
God has an appointed time for everything He has promised. Patiently wait for it in prayer - Habakkuk 2:3 For 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.
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