Daily Lessons — Why the Delay?
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Why does the fulfillment of the vision get delayed? Why does it seem like it is taking longer than expected?
I want to share three reasons with you why visions may be delayed. I do hope you will carefully go through it. It blessed my life, and I am hopeful that it will do the same for you. If you have one vision or the other, make sure you don't skip it.
1. If the fulfillment of the vision will not be delayed, God's servant commissioned to work for it must be in agreement with Him.
Now, please take note of this point. It's important to know that God sends his servant for the fulfillment of your vision. If the servant isn't in agreement with God, the fulfillment of a vision may be delayed. Let me give you a biblical reference. If you are familiar with the story of Saul of Tarsus, you will know that, after being blind and unable to see, he was led to Damascus. The Bible says he neither ate nor drank for three days while waiting to regain his sight.
In the city of Damascus, there was a disciple of the Lord. He was faithful and served God with a clear conscience. The Lord needed him for a particular assignment: to go lay hands on Saul (Paul) so he could regain his sight. And so the Lord appeared to this disciple called Ananias in a vision, telling him about this assignment. But Ananias replied,
Acts.9.13 — 14 : "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem." And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.
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Ananias began to say what he knew about Saul. He didn't know God's plan for him.
Before the Lord appeared to Ananias, Saul had seen a vision, too, that someone would come and lay hands on him and he would regain his sight. though Saul had the vision. He was optimistic that someone would come. He neither drank nor ate.
There is a possibility that people whom God wants to use for the fulfillment of your vision or dream may not be in agreement with God because they never fully understand why God chose you.
In this part of the process of fulfilling your vision, you don't have control. If the servant doesn't agree on time, the fulfillment may get delayed. Perhaps the control you have is to understand this, which I believe you are already doing, and pray that the people God will use to fulfill your dream must be in agreement with Him.
Someone may say that God may replace him. Yes! It's very true that he may get replaced if he refuses. But don't forget that God may wait for him to agree. Remember how he waited for Jonah to see the reason why he should go to Nineveh?
The truth is, your vision may be delayed until you understand this factor and pray for that servant not to delay in agreeing with God. Do you get this first point?
2. The proximity of the servant that God wants to use to the vision carrier
Sometimes the fulfillment of a vision may be delayed because the people that God wants to use are far from where you are. There are many factors that may cause this. It may be you who is not in the right location, or the servant is finding it difficult to locate you.
If you are following, you will remember that Saul was led to Damascus.
Acts.9.8: "Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing." So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
The servant whom God wanted to send to Saul was also in this city.
Acts 9.10: In Damascus, there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"Yes, Lord," he answered.
We can see from these verses that the visionary, Saul, and the servant whom God wanted to use for the fulfillment of his dream, Ananias, were both in the same location. There was the possibility of delaying the fulfillment of Saul's vision if Ananias was very far away or not in the same location as Saul. But being close to Saul accelerated the fulfillment of his vision.
If the fulfillment of any vision or dream will not be delayed, then the proximity of those who carry the vision and those whom God wants to use is very important.
3. The willingness of the vision carrier to accept his responsibility.
You might have heard or read that no vision comes to pass or is fulfilled if the carrier of that vision is not ready to fulfill his part in bringing it to pass.
This point is very important because, even if the two criteria above are met, without this last one, the fulfillment of the vision or dream will be delayed. Many visions would have come to fulfillment, but the men who carry them aren't ready and willing to play their own role.
The Lord told Ananias what Saul would do for him, how he would suffer for him, and how he would preach the gospel before gentiles and Jews.
Acts 9.16: "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
I believe the Lord would have prevented Ananias from going to lay hands on him if Saul had not been willing to take God's offer. You see, visions may remain visions in the heart if you aren't willing to take God's offer and ready to take responsibility for the part you are supposed to play. Obedience can't be substituted for anything else. Until a man carrying a vision is willing to obey and fulfill his own part of the covenant, the vision may stay long in his heart and not come to fulfillment.
