A woman is inconvenient in pregnancy but she will not say she does not want a child. Maturity is not based on how old we are, but on our speech, thoughts, and understanding. Maturity looks at the aftereffect of things rather than the immediate effect. G.o.d has blessings for all of us but as long as we remain children, we cannot access them.

Galatians 4:1

Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

You don't develop muscles by eating food alone or reading books but by carrying weights. Many times what makes us sorrowful when we are going through a divine delay is our lack of understanding of the mystery of G.o.d in our lives. Divine delay means G.o.d planning our lives as a result of the totality of the future.

The Israelites went through a long route. Egypt to Cannan would be about eleven days journey. G.o.d did not take them through a short and sharp route but through a longer route. This was a divine delay. Many wonder why G.o.d took them through a longer route, the wisdom of G.o.d is seen in Exodus 13:17b. They were disappointed in the wilderness, they could not understand the process. Man is always impatient. G.o.d wanted to train them so that they could see life in another perspective. When Joseph had dream, he told his brothers, he did not know that he would go through the discomfort of the pit, to Portiphar's house and the loneliness of the dungeon of Pharaoh.

Genesis 45:3

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence.

He was kidnapped for 13 years of his life, until one day he became the prime minister. By the time the brothers came to buy food, vengeance was out of him by the fact of what he had gone through in the wheel of the Portiphar's house. Impunities, sin, impatience, unbelief, l.u.s.t, love of prominence had been removed.

For some it takes 3 years to become what G.o.d plans for them, but for some, even 40 years they are not ready. Because they keep on complaining and murmuring. Like the Israelites, 40 years they did not make it, G.o.d did not want his labour on them to be in vain. Egypt did not expose them to war. They were just working and eating in bondage, they were not mature. How can you expose somebody to what he cannot handle? That is suicide mission. They could not stand what they were not prepared for. You need to be trained.

David did not just cut the head of the giant, but he had been trained in the bush facing the lion and the bear. My prayer is that what you have gone through will not be in vain. Many times when there is a delay, G.o.d wants to keep you from what can hurt you. In your delay, you mature. G.o.d is more interested in your future success that in your immediate success. As soon as they mature, everywhere they went, they succeeded.

Many don't respond well to G.o.d. G.o.d knows you but you don't know yourself. By proving you, which looks like divine delay, G.o.d wants you to see him as more important than things. G.o.d knows your need. Divine delay is to make you:

1. To know that you should not live by bread alone: to know that his word is more important than anything else. If you have word, you will get what they are looking for in the world. Building on an ordinary sand can go up quickly but it does not stand the test of time.

2. To know yourself: Because until you know yourself, you will not pray for improvement. Many have problem yet they don't know thinking they have arrived when they have not started. They are comfortable in mediocrity. By this you have confidence in G.o.d not in yourself, you can trust G.o.d more. Even Paul who wrote half of the epistles, who raised the dead, came to a time in his mission that he came to the end of himself and had to trust G.o.d. No one is secure standing on his human energy to make it. Jesus told Peter that the enemy was waiting to s.h.i.+ft him but he was so full of self confidence. The emptiness of human arrogance is seen in his denial

He went and cried. G.o.d wants us to come to the end of our lives. When the system we trust start to fail, G.o.d wants us to focus on Him. When things are difficult, people have time to think. G.o.d wants to see your behavior with the little he has given you. Will you run away after getting what you need from G.o.d? Christ is the vine, we are the branches, when we cut off from him we dry up. G.o.d proves to us not to have confidence in ourselves but in him alone.

G.o.d's role is to perform, ours is to proclaim the promises. It is not every delay that comes from G.o.d. You check your heart, make sure there are no offences, like Job it was the devil that brought the delay. If it is G.o.d, you can stay in faith and endure it but if it is the devil, you must resist it. It is not every door that is opened by G.o.d. G.o.d can even close some doors. Joseph begged his brothers. But his brothers refused but if he had been delivered, he would not have become what G.o.d planned for him. Don't just look for what is easy. G.o.d wants to do you good in your latter end.

When you are going through the test, you may look foolish. This is what makes you to stay put.

We must learn from the two sides of life. It is not just important to teach what people must do to work in the overflow. It is also important to teach what not to do, so that we will not be ignorant.

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Three things we must take note of in this scripture

1. Your speech betrays your maturity

2. Your understanding: you need a deep understanding of G.o.d, G.o.d is not a father Christmas that delivers you and bless you without responsibility

3. Your thinking: n.o.body knows your thought but your speech and understanding are a function of your thoughts.

As a christian, you must plan to succeed. People join what is working. But when wrong people join you, you don't allow them to influence you negatively. Don't let anybody use you to fight anybody. The mixed mult.i.tude that followed the children of Israel influenced them negatively. When they got to the valley, they started longing for Egypt that G.o.d delivered them from.

They despised the food that G.o.d gave them. For the first time, Moses became discouraged by their att.i.tude. The mult.i.tude affected the people and the people affected Moses. Moses wanted to die.

G.o.d in response, to this situation, told Moses to gather 70 elders, so that they could share in the burden of Moses. This means that what Moses carried was equal to what 70 people carry. Beloved, you must not allow people's discouragement to force you out of the will of G.o.d. Men's opinion does not determine G.o.d's opinion.

If small things weary you, what happens when bigger issues come up? How will G.o.d increase your capacity for your future? Many want promotion without progress. Don't get wearied. Don't despise your seed. It is your future tree. Don't allow fear to capture you in order to destroy your future.

Once you are in the will of G.o.d, you cannot be smaller than where you are now. G.o.d's kingdom works. The seed will produce the tree. It is a matter of time. The bible says that when the seed is planted, the blade comes out first. But do you know that the blade does not look like the harvest you are expecting. This is the reason why you must remain faithful. Don't be in love with your tomorrow and neglect today.

Matthew 20:29-34

29 And as they departed from Jericho, a great mult.i.tude followed him.

30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, when they heard that Jesus pa.s.sed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.

31 And the mult.i.tude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.

32 And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

33 They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

34 So Jesus had compa.s.sion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

We see the story of two blind men in the scripture. They could not see but they could hear the crowd. They heard that Jesus was pa.s.sing by, their opportunity came to be healed.

Beloved, opportunity is perception. They must have remembered that Jesus being the son of David has come as a deliverer. The crowd rebuked them for them to hold their peace. If they had listened to the crowd, they would have died blind. The more they opposed them, the more they cried.

Jesus stood still and called them, it was not the first cry that they cried that got the attention of Jesus. At times G.o.d uses delay to test us. Are we going to give up? They were specific with their request. Jesus touched them and they received their sight after which they followed him. Every encounter with G.o.d is a test on how we will respond.

Matthew 9:27-31

27And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.

28And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

29Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

30And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.

But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

This is also the story of two blind men. There was no crowd here to discourage them, but Jesus did not stop for them. Yet he is the epitome of love. Beloved you must understand that some of those delays you are experiencing are test. They followed Jesus and entered into the house with him. Jesus did not touch them until they expressed their faith. G.o.d cannot do for you what you are not willing to allow him to do. G.o.d responds to hunger not just to need.

At times we may need to go all the way to get the blessing. You must not give up cheaply. Don't take G.o.d's silence as No. Don't allow oppositions to shut you up as opportunity always wears the garment of oppositions.

G.o.d does not want us to be discouraged. Discouragement makes you not to do anything again in life. You must wait on the Lord not to be wearied. Waiting on the Lord is not just about praying and fasting alone.

Luke 18:1

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

This story of the widow woman is to encourage us not be wearied in sowing seed. Her persistence made the unjust judge to respond, If the unjust judge responded, how much more G.o.d who is just. Reason for being wearied in well doing is expecting the same people to repay you.

Galatians 6:9

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

In G.o.d, it is not the same person that will give you when you sow your seed. But G.o.d touches the unlikely to give you. The Lord that could send the raven to Elijah can use anybody to meet you at the point of your need. Bats don't see, yet they move around in mult.i.tude without colliding with each other. G.o.d has given them perception to move around. How much more will he take care of you? It has been researched that shark when it opens its mouth in the sea, swallows up everything along its path. But there is a small fish that it cannot swallow. It was found out that this particular fish produces a smell, some poisonous substances that paralyze the mouth of the shark not to be able to swallow it. If G.o.d can take care of this fish, he can take care of you At times, people faint when they are rebuked. But G.o.d does not want us to faint when we are rebuked. Because if you will mature, you must be able to endure rebuke.

Psalm 27:13

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

When you believe, you will not faint. People also faint because of satanic delays.

Daniel 10:12-13 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy G.o.d, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

We can see from this account that from the day that Daniel prayed, he was heard. Yet for 21 days, the answers did not come. Between the earth and the heavens are demons. Spiritual wickedness gang up in the heavenlies to hinder the prayer of the saints. Every territory has demonic spirit governing them. This is the reason why we must be consistent in confessing the word.

Proverbs 24:10

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

There are spirits in every land. Don't allow the spirit of the land to overcome you. The prince of Persia withstood Daniel for 21 days but on the long run, persistence paid off.

You must hold on to your confession of faith. When you bring your personal request before G.o.d, know that G.o.d hears you. Don't exercise unbelief in repeating your requests in the place of prayer. You must start to thank him knowing fully well that he has heard you.

When you stand your ground, the blessings will surely overflow in your life.