Spiritual Delays

No one likes delays … well … unless it’s a good delay. If an early morning event was delayed, granting you the opportunity to sleep in, you probably wouldn’t mind that. Or if a task at work was postponed to a later date, you’d probably be grateful for the extra time to complete it. You could relax a bit without feeling rushed. But under normal circumstances, no one likes delays.

In 1 Thessalonians 2, the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Thessalonica and encouraged them to keep their faith in God through Jesus Christ, despite the constant persecution they faced. Paul commended them for receiving and welcoming the word of God that he and the other apostles preached. He said, “You welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:14).

Let us be mindful today to view the Word of God as the Thessalonians did. The Bible is the word of God, not the word of man. Therefore, it has power and commanding authority. Some of us respect the word of men. Certain people with status, wealth, or wisdom can catch and draw the attention of men because their words are believed to be helpful or trustworthy.

If a billionaire opens his mouth and begins to tell people how he achieved his wealth, people would close their mouths and listen. Cameras would flash, video recordings would roll, and crowds of people would pick up pen and paper to document this man’s words … all because they believe he has the key to prosperity. All because they believe the doorway to an abundant life is found on his lips.

But believer, always treat God’s word as more authoritative and commanding than that of man. Trust that God’s word is the key to living in abundance. Wealth, true wealth, is found in knowing and surrendering to Jesus. Although my bank account may not reflect that I am a person of wealth, trust me, I am wealthy!

God has blessed me to experience Him and to know Him, and that experience has made me wealthier than many people in the world. No, the world does not know of the wealth that true believers have found in Jesus. But let us pray that they will soon discover the treasure that God has led us to find in Him.

Now, about delays. Paul wrote this in 1 Thessalonians 2:18, “Therefore we wanted to come to you– even I, Paul, time and again– but Satan hindered us.” In addition to Paul encouraging the church through his letter, he also wanted to edify the Thessalonians face-to-face. However, he was met with opposition. Paul tried, as he stated, time and time again to personally see them, but the devil stopped him.

Spiritual delays are real. Paul is not the only man of God who endured a setback due to the schemes of Satan. Daniel 10 records the account of how the Prophet Daniel was also delayed due to spiritual warfare. The text tells us that Daniel prayed to God for answers, but the answer to his prayer was delayed due to the actions of demons.

The angel God sent to Daniel said the following to Daniel: “ … for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.” (Daniel 10:12-13).

This verse fascinates me. Here we have God’s angel telling us that he was delayed from answering Daniel’s prayer by a dark angel. The delay in the spiritual world caused a delay in Daniel’s natural world. And Daniel did not receive his answer until Micheal, a chief prince, a higher ranking angel, came to the rescue.

Again, spiritual delays are real. We aren’t above God’s prophets and apostles, are we? If Daniel was delayed and Paul was delayed, it is absolutely possible that we can be delayed too. It’s possible that you are being delayed right now in this very hour because of spiritual warfare. Yet, we need to be mindful that Satan and his demons will only delay things of God. They will only delay things or people who stand in opposition of them.

I must say that, unfortunately, there may be people who believe they are spiritually delayed by demons, yet, they do nothing for God. Why would a demon delay someone who fulfills their desires on earth? A person who is contributing to chaos and evil on earth would never be delayed by demons. A musical artist promoting ungodly things, an entertainer distracting the masses with worldly passions, or a drug dealer facing delays are not facing delays from demons. They may, in fact, face delays, but dare I say that it is not from the enemy. Their delays may be from God Himself.

The Apostle Paul faced another delay besides the one he wrote about  in 1 Thessalonians 2. When Paul was on the road to Damascus there was a delay on the way caused by Jesus Christ. Paul was stopped in his tracks when Jesus shined a light on him from heaven and asked him why he persecuted God’s people. Paul was delayed, he was hindered from doing the thing he set his heart on doing because the things he was doing was not of God.

If you are experiencing what you believe to be spiritual delay, seek the Lord on why the delay is present. It could be a delay from demons, but it could also be a delay from God. Recall the delayed healing of a blind man in John 9. The disciples asked Jesus what caused the man’s blindness …they asked was it his sins or his parents' sins … because let’s be real. Some of the delays we experience are because of our own sins or because of the sins of others around us  (Joshua and Caleb were delayed from the Promised Land for 40 years because of the sins of others!)

Jesus answered that the blind man's condition was caused by neither of these things. John 9:3 states, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” In the case of the blind man, delayed healing occurred for the glory of God. Satan had nothing to do with it. The delay was a part of God’s masterful plan, just as delay for God’s glory was also a part of God’s plan for Lazarus, who was raised from the dead.

Dear reader, today I just wanted to highlight the fact that spiritual delay is real. Spiritual warfare is real. Satan and demons can occasionally delay God’s people just as it is recorded in 1 Thessalonians 2:18, Daniel 10, and in many other books in the Bible. However, delay does not mean denial.

Paul stated that he tried and tried to meet the Thessalonians face-to-face but could not because of Satan. Yet, Paul did eventually make it back to Thessalonica. After praying and doing a little research, I discovered that Paul returned to Macedonia as recorded in Acts 20:3 and 1 Corinthians 16:5. Thessalonica was a major city in Macedonia. So, it appears that Paul made it to the believers at Thessalonica after all.

And of course, although his prayer was delayed, Daniel’s prayer was also eventually answered. So, for God’s servants, it all worked out in the end. Dear reader, I just want to encourage you. If you are facing spiritual warfare, setbacks, or delays, you are not alone. It happened to some of God’s greatest servants in the Kingdom. If they were not immune to delays, neither are we.

But in the end, God’s people will always win. Delays caused by Satan or demons cannot even begin to enter our lives if God prohibits it. But if God does allow the delay, just know that He has a plan to move everything forward in the right timing. God sees all, knows all, and will work everything out for our good, even the spiritual delays.

That’s all I have for you today. I pray this message has encouraged you. May God bless and keep you. Until next time, take care. 

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Again, thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,

Quin Arrington