" Delayed But Not Denied "

By Minister Tony Parker

We will always have seasons of struggles and testing. Regardless of our prayers and consecration, adversity will come. The Lord has a purpose in not allowing us to be fruitful all the time. When God sends the chilly winds of winter to blow on our circumstances, we must still trust in Him.

The apostle Paul calls such times "...Light affliction, which is but for a moment..." (2 Cor. 4:1 7). I say, "This too shall pass!" Temporary setbacks create opportunities for fresh commitment and renewal.

Someone once said, "Patience is a tree whose root is bitter, but its fruit is sweet." You will find that prayer brings us into patience. Patience results from trust. We cannot trust a God we don't talk with.

Every situation shouldn't get an immediate reaction. Prayer is simply the seasoning of good judgment Without it, our decisions will not be palatable. Meaning acceptable to the mind (agreeable).

"For the vision is yet for an appointment time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry—wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." (Habakkuk 2:3)

Know that our struggle is in waiting for the appointment we have with destiny. God is a God of order; He does everything by appointment. He has set a predetermined appointment to bring to pass His promise in our lives. An appointment is a meeting already set up. Our comfort is in knowing that we have an appointment with destiny.

It is the inner awareness that makes us realize that in spite of temporary circumstances, God has a present time of deliverance. We are employed in peace when we know that nothing the enemy does can abort the plan of God for our lives.

Greater still is the peace that comes from knowing we cannot rush God's timing. When the Lord speaks a word into our lives, it is like a seed. It takes time for a seed to sprout. God knows when we have reached the time of germination (to begin to grow). Our confidence is in God's seed.

When the promise has grown it-- fertile ground of a faith-filled heart and reached the time to maturation, it will come to pass. Know that it will be a direct result of the presence of God. It will not be by human might or power, but by the Spirit of the Lord (see Zech. 46).

The psalmist David said, "My times are in Thy hand" (Psalm 31 :15a). There is a sense of tranquility that comes from resting in the Lord. There is peace that comes from knowing God has included us in His plan—even the details.

That doesn't stop the evil one from trying to delay the fulfillment of what God has said and he can't stop it from happening. Your blessing may not come in the way you thought it would. It may not come through the person you thought it would. But if God said it, then rest assured-it may be delayed, but it cannot be denied.

Life will always present broken places, places of struggle and conflict. If you have a divine purpose and life has put you on hold, hang on! Stay on the line until life gets back to you. If you believe as I do, then it's worth the wait to receive your answer from the Lord.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay-and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth-even praise unto our God; many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:1-3)

The real test of faith is in facing the silence of being on hold-Patience gets a workout when God's answer is no answer. In other Words, God's answer is not always yes or no.

Sometimes He says, "Not Now!" It is God's timing that we must learn. He synchronizes His answers to accomplish His purpose. Whenever the breath of the almighty breathes a fresh anointing on you, it is a divine indication of a supernatural deliverance.

Regardless of the obstacle in your life, there is a wind from God that can bring you out. Let the wind of the Lord blow down every spirit of fear and heaviness that would cause you to give up on what God has promised you. The description of the Holy Spirit says He is as "a rushing mighty wind" (Acts 2:2).

For every mighty problem in your life, there is a mighty rushing wind! A normal wind can be blocked out. If you close the door and lock the windows, the wind just passes over without changing the building. But if the wind is a mighty rushing wind, it will blow down the door and break in the windows.

There is a gusty wind from the Lord that is too strong to be controlled. It will blew back the Red Sea-it rolled back the Jordan River It blew dry the wet, marshy, flooded lands as in the days of, Noah. God's wind is still ultra-effective against every current event in your life.

May God Bless You