Have You Asked, How Long, Lord?

When ill, we often find ourselves asking ‘how long, Lord?’ to so many things. Fiona shares.

“My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:3).

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and You listened to my cry” (Jonah 2:2).

For a long time, I’ve been praying about something a friend needs so much. Yet, there hasn’t been the answer we want and I found the question “How long?” coming to mind often.

In the above verse the Psalmist cries “how long”, but it’s also something Habakkuk cries out to God, asking: Why does evil seem to go unpunished? Why does God not respond to prayer?

“How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but You do not listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2a).

So I wasn’t alone in asking.

The second phrase on my mind was “I called to the Lord”–from the Jonah verse above, although, a similar phrase comes from Psalm 18:6 and also 2 Samuel 22:7.

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple He heard my voice; my cry came before Him, into His ears.” (Psalm 18:6).

When it seems we’ve not been heard, or God isn’t giving us what we believe we, or someone else really needs, is it impatience to wonder if God does really care? Or why is He silent?

God understands when we cry out to Him. We’re assured God does hear and does care and if He seems silent, we need to recall that He knows what’s best in every situation.

I wonder if we are grateful when the answer finally comes, or are we saying “about time too!” God’s timing is perfect. His answer is never early, or late–it’s just at the right time.

Will we be able to trust Him better the next time? Or will we fall into the same trap of thinking that we know better.

It was a sobering reminder for me and I pray it teaches us all to trust Him more.

Prayer: Father God, Thank You for hearing and understanding my cries and my impatience. Help me to trust You when you ask me to wait for answers and to believe that Your timing is right. We praise You that You are sovereign. Amen.

About the Author:
Fiona Burrows lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is thankful that God walks each step of her life with her, and that He is teaching her new things as she learns to live with chronic back pain. She enjoys finding time for reading, writing, and photography, and to share those things with others. You can contact her in the Sunroom, or read more of her writing on her blog there.

Are you wondering “how long” about something? What reminds you to keep on trusting?

This is the song “Sovereign Over Us” with Michael W Smith. Fiona shares, “As I finished writing this devotional, the words of the song “Sovereign Over Us” were ringing in my ears and reminding me that God is with us, and sovereignly in control of each moment of our days.”