The Time of the Promise

Thomas brooks reminds us that the mercies of God are not styled the swift,but "the sure mercies of David." There is nothing of hurry about the procedure of the Lord: it may even seem that the chariots of his grace are long in coming. It is by no means an unusual circumstance for the saints to be heard crying, "O Lord, how long?" It is written "the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward" (Isaiah 58:8). Now the guard of the rear comes up last, but it does come. God may sometimes make us wait; but we shall see in the end that he is as surely the Omega as the Alpha of his people’s salvation. Let us never distrust him, but though the vision tarry, let us wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry (Habakkuk 2:3).

There once sailed from the port of London a vessel, which the owner called the Swift-sure,because he hoped it would prove both safe and speedy. Truly this is a fit name for the Lord’s mercy: it is both swift and sure. David may not have said so in the text which Brooks quotes, but he often said as much and even more in others. Did he not say "Herode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind"? The Lord is not slow to hear the cries of his people. He has set time to favor Zion, and when that set time is come there will be no delay.

The date for its fulfillment is an important part of a promise; indeed, it enters into the essence of it. It would be unjust to delay the payment of a debt; and the obligation to keep one’s word is of the same nature. The Lord is prompt to the moment in carrying out his gracious engagements. The Lord had threatened to destroy the world with a flood, but he waited the full time of respite until Noah had entered the ark; and then, on the selfsame day, the fountains of the great deep were broken up. He had declared that Israel should come out of Egypt, and it was so:

"Andit came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:41).

According to Daniel, the Lord numbers the years of his promise, and counts the weeks of his waiting. As for the greatest promise of all, namely, the sending of his Son from heaven, the Lord was not behind-hand in that great gift, "but when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman." Beyond all question, the Lord our God keeps his word to the moment.

When we are in need, we may be urgent with the Lord to come quickly to our rescue, even as David pleaded in the seventieth Psalm, —

" Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord." (Verse 1.) "Iam poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying." (Verse 5.)

The Lord even condescends to describe himself as making speed to carry out his gracious engagements, saying,

But we must not pray in this fashion as though we had the slightest fear that the Lord could or would be dilatory, or that he needed us to quicken his diligence. No.

Our God is slow to anger, but in deeds of grace "hisword runneth very swiftly" (Psalm 147:15). Sometimes his speed to bless his people outstrips time and thought: as, for instance, when he fulfills that ancient declaration,

Yet there are delays in the answers to our prayers. As the husbandman does not reap today that which he sowed yesterday, so neither do we always at once obtain from the Lord that which we seek of him. The door of grace does open, but not to our first knocks. Why is this? It is because the mercy will be all the greater for being longer on the road. There is a time for every purpose under heaven, and everything is best in its time. Fruit ripens in its season; and the more seasonable it is the better it is. Untimely mercies would be only half mercies; therefore the Lord withholds them till they have come to their perfection. Even heaven itself will be all the better because it will not be ours till it is prepared for us, and we are prepared for it.

Love presides over the arrangements of grace, and strikes upon the bell when the best moment has arrived. God blesses us by his temporary delays, as well as by his prompt replies. We are not to doubt the Lord because his time has not yet come: that would be to act like petulant children, who must have a thing at the instant, or else they think they shall never have it. A waiting God is the true object of confidence to his waiting people. "Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you" (Isaiah 30:18). His compassion’s fail not even when his gracious operations appear to be suspended, and our grief’s are deepened. Yea, it is because he loves us so much that he tries us by delaying his answers of peace. It is with our Father in heaven even as it was with our Lord on earth:

"NowJesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was" (John 11:5, 6).

Love closes the hand of divine bounty, and restrains the outflow of favor, when it sees that a solid gain will ensue from a period of trial.

Perhaps the time of the promise has not yet come, because our trial has not yet fulfilled its design. The chastening must answer its purpose, or it cannot be brought to an end. Who would desire to see the gold taken out of the fire before its dross is consumed? Wait, O precious thing, till thou hast gained the utmost of purity! These furnace moments are profitable. It would be unwise to shorten such golden hours. The time of the promise corresponds with the time most enriching to heart and soul.

Perhaps, moreover, we have not yet displayed sufficient submission to the divine will. Patience has not yet had her perfect work. The weaning process is not accomplished: we are still hankering after the comforts which the Lord intends us for ever to outgrow. Abraham made a great feast when his son Isaac was weaned; and, peradventure, our heavenly Father will do the same with us. Lie down, proud heart! Quit thine idols; forsake thy fond dotings; and the promised peace will come unto thee.

Possibly, also, we have not yet performed a duty which will become the turning-point of our condition. The Lord turned again the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. It may be that the Lord will make us useful to a relative or other friend before he will favor us with personal consolations: we are not to see the face of our Joseph except our brother be with us. Some ordinance of the Lord’s house may lie neglected, or some holy work may be left undone; and this may hinder the promise. Is it so? "Are the consolations of God small with thee? Is there any secret thing with thee?"Peradventure we are yet to vow unto the Lord, and make a notable sacrifice unto him, and then will he bring his covenant to mind. Let him not have to complain, "Thouhast bought me no sweet cane with money." Rather let us accept his challenge,

"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing" (Malachi 3:10).

God’s promises are so dated as to secure his glory in their fulfillment, and this must be enough for us when we can see no other reason for delay. It may be necessary for us to be made more fully aware of our need, and the great value of the blessings which we crave. That which too lightly comes may be too lightly prized. Perhaps our ungrateful spirits need tutoring to thankfulness by an education of waiting. We might not loudly sing if we did not deeply sigh. Wanting and waiting lead to panting and pleading; and these in due time lead to joying and rejoicing.

If all things could be known to us as they are known to God, we should bless him with all our hearts for keeping us under the smarting rod, and not sparing us for our crying. If we could know the end as well as the beginning, we should praise the Lord for closed doors, and frowning looks, and unanswered petitions. Surely, if we knew that the Lord’s great purposes were answered by our continuing without the pleasures we desire, and bearing the evils which we dread, we should cry aloud to be left in our poverty, and to be shut up in our pain. If we can glorify God by being denied what we seek, we desire to be denied. Greatest of all our prayers, and sum of all the rest, is this one, "nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."