This, of course, is a question that can only be asked by those who are indeed trying to do something! And it’s a very important question for people who are longing to see the awesome promises of God fulfilled in their day to day lives, people who are standing in faith with believing prayer for God-glorifying breakthroughs for themselves and for the situations and people they care deeply about.

After saying, “you’re in company with every other believer and ministry on the planet – we all experience discouraging delays and feel powerless at times” – we’re still left with the question, and need to know what to do about it?

The best advice I’ve ever read comes from the pen of a man who was anointed to become the king of his country when he was just a boy, yet for many years of his adult life was on the run from the reigning monarch who sought his very life. The fulfilment of promises and prophecies, the realisation of what he had been anointed to do, must have, at times, seemed a million miles away. The man’s name was David, his country Israel, and his inspiration (we can only guess) would’ve been the heroes of his nation’s history: Joseph, and then Moses – both who had to figure out what happens when nothing happen? What do we do about it?

In  Psalm 37, David identifies the hope of the righteous against the wicked, For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace (v9-11). But sometimes, we’re certain, God’s idea of “a little while” is vastly different to our own – that’s the problem when you’ve lived in eternity forever!

But David gives brilliant advice to all of us during those “little whiles”, those times when we are waiting for the good to breakthrough and displace the bad that is squatting where it ought not. Consider this sequence from David through the first eight verses of the psalm: Do not fret – Trust –  Delight in the Lord –  Commit yourself to the Lord –  Trust –  Rest in the Lord –  Do not fret –  Do not fret.

I know what fretting is. It’s the art of entertaining excessive and unnecessary nervous anxiety, disproportionate to the need. ‘Just don’t do it!’ David repeats and repeats.

I think I understand the word ‘delight’ as a verb. It’s the practice of being a pleasure and satisfaction to another, having a good time with much enjoyment. ‘Just do it’ David exhorts, ‘in the Lord’. That is, create moments where you isolate the wonder of God from the woes of the wicked … and enjoy yourself in Him.

Commit means to tie yourself by giving your word. I think Job knew how to do that ‘when nothing happened’, “Though he slay me yet will I trust him”, and Habakkuk, “Though the fig tree does not blossom – yet will I rejoice in the Lord”. In other words, I’m not going anywhere, God. I’m committed to you no matter what does or does not happen!

Then “trust” and “rest”. In other words we position ourselves in a place of worshipful trust and surrender and calmly wait. It’s a devotional position: trust, delight, commit and rest. 

To the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul contrasts two words: We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair. And upon turning to the dictionary I discovered this:  ‘Perplexed’ : to be without resources, to be in straits, to be left wanting, to be embarrassed, to be in doubt, not to know which way to turn, to be at a loss with one's self, be in doubt.

Then I turned to the word ‘despair’, and found : to be utterly at loss, be utterly destitute of measures or resources, to renounce all hope. What then was the difference between being ‘perplexed’ and being in ‘despair’? They seem identical except for the adverbs ‘utterly’ and ‘all’. Perplexed is not final! Perplexed is painful and exasperating, but not terminal!

What kept Suzanne and I eight years ago when our precious 16 year old son died? Simply knowing that this was not utter loss, or utter destitution, that this was not the loss of all hope . . . although cause for immense sadness, grief and pain, even this was not cause for despair. Later in the same chapter to the Corinthians we read, “We know that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself along with you. All of these things are for your benefit.” (14-15)

Even if all you have left is to delight yourself in the Lord – DO IT! For even when it feels like He has failed us – He has not failed us! It’s not over ‘til it’s over, and we are the people of resurrection, of the 1000 year reign of Christ with the overcomers on earth, we are the people of eternity! The meek shall inherit the earth.

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