Leadership Thought: Have You Ever Asked the Question, “How Long, Lord?”

Dear Friend,

The other day I was talking with a person who was struggling with some real health concerns. The person had been praying for several years for healing, but as of now there was no clear answer to her prayers. She was asking, “How Long must I wait?”

I thought of the many people throughout my ministry who have asked the same question, “How long?” How long before I am healed? Or maybe it was how long before I’m married, or out of debt, of find a job, or find sobriety. The “How Long” question is one that many a believer has asked at one time or another.

As God would have it, the very next day in my devotional reading I came across a message that wonderfully spoke to this question, and I shared it with my friend. It came from one of my favorite devotionals, Streams in the Desert. If you don’t have a copy, I encouraged you to get one. It is one of the finest devotionals you can buy. A compilation of messages for each day of the year, it always seems to speak to whatever issue one is facing, bringing wisdom, insight, and encouragement to help you face your situation or challenge.

I quote part of the March 14^th lesson which speaks to those of you who feel like you have been walking up hill for so long that you have grown tired and weary of the journey, and you are asking that question posed by my friend, “How Long?”

“God still has his secrets- hidden from “the wise and learned” (Luke 10: 21). Do not fear these unknown things but be content to accept the things you cannot understand and to wait patiently. In due time he will reveal the treasures of the unknown to you- the riches of the glory of the mystery. Recognize that the mystery is simply the veil covering God's face.”

“’Do not be afraid to enter the cloud descending on your life, for God is in it. And the other side is radiant with his glory.  Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ’ (1 Peter 4:12-13).  When you feel the most forsaken and lonely, God is near. He is in the darkest cloud. Forge ahead into the darkness without flinching, knowing that under the shelter of the cloud, God is waiting for you.”

“A man once stood on a high peak of the Rocky Mountains watching a raging storm below. As he watched, and eagle came up through the clouds and soared away toward the sun. The water on its wings glistened in the sunlight like diamonds. If not for the storm, the eagle might have remained in the valley. In the same way, the sorrows of life cause us to rise toward God.” Streams in the Desert, L.B. Cowman, March 14. pp. 113-15.

So, my dear sister or brother keep looking up at that eagle soaring above that raging storm below and remember, “The only cure for suffering is to face it head on, grasp it round the neck and use it (for the glory of God.”) Mary Craig

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom