When I finished university, I ran out of my town within the first week or two (April). I actually think it was the day after I finished exams, which is why I use the word “ran”. I was still paying rent at my apartment, and prior to leaving they told me that I needed to pay rent till my lease was over (August). The alternative was finding someone to sublease, and even then they required 60 days notice. As you can imagine, that wasn’t going to happen. It didn’t make sense to stay either, as rent is just one part of surviving: I would need grocery money, amongst other things, when the alternative was staying with an aunt who would take care of me.
I left in faith, and without telling my parents. April came, and I paid from my meagre student pocket. I informed God there and then that this was all I had, so somehow a miracle had to happen by May 21, when my next payment was due. The afternoon of May 17, I received a call from telling me that someone needed the apartment now, so would I mind signing a lease takeover form and sending it to them immediately? For context, I lived in a university town, meaning that if you wanted a place you needed to start looking no less than a year prior. I was also travelling during that period, so my network was off and they could only contact me when I was back in the country. Also, it takes a minimum of 3 days for the keys to be mailed from my location to the university town, and lastly, as mentioned before, they had warned me that the process of a sublease and lease takeover required a minimum of 60 days. God did it in three.
I have a library of stories like this, where nothing was really happening until it really mattered. I even have some where it only looked like it really mattered. My perception is skewed, because I go according to what I can see, and I think it’s a human thing. In Exodus 32:1, the Bible says that “…the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain…” but in 32:8, the Lord describes the same period of time: “They have turned aside quickly”. They created and idolised a golden calf in between those verses. How has your perception left you hopeless? How have your own timelines left you without faith? How has your impatience moved you out of the will of God? What have you idolised in your wait?
The Lord is able. Maybe that’s the difficulty, because you know He is and He doesn’t seem to be moving as He can. But let’s leave it there. He is not only able, but He does, and can do exceedingly, abundantly above all you can ask, or think, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). The part you have to play is to surrender, and then trust and believe that He has taken it in His hands. It’s much easier said than done, and the outcome is not always understood – I struggle with that too. The truth remains: the Lord is able. Today, I pray in the name of Jesus that the Lord opens your eyes to see that He is with you, or that you allow your soul to be comforted by the knowledge that He can never be against you. I pray that you are faithful to His promise and sovereignty in your wait, and that even on the days where you can barely hold your faith, your thoughts, words and actions continue to believe God. He will do it.
