IMMEDIATELY CAN TAKE SOME TIME
When you least expect it the ‘suddenly’ of heaven can break through. It’s often easy to focus on the ‘suddenlies’ or ‘immmediatelies’ without considering what has gone before for the person or situation.
We all love it when there’s an immediately – immediately the person was healed, immediately there came an answer to our prayers, immediately the breakthrough came. However, in my experience immediately can take some time.
We live in an increasingly ‘instant society’. We have constant access to all manner of information. We demand faster internet speeds so we can have even greater access to information and answers to life’s questions. Never before have we been able to view with such clarity, events unfolding on the other side of the planet with little or no delay, such is the nature of our technologically advanced world.
However, one of the (many) downsides to this fast-paced information age in which we live, is we expect heaven to respond in like manner. We desire or demand instant answers to our prayers, instant breakthrough and blessings to flow to us each and every time we make our requests.
‘Immediately’ and ‘suddenly’ appear many times in Scripture. However, in many if not all of these instances there has been a period or process of waiting even when there seems to be no breakthrough or answer in sight.
If we consider the account of Bartimaeus found in Mark 10:46-52, we read Bartimaeus was by the side of the road begging. Whilst it isn’t clear how long he had been there, we can correctly assume it was some time. It was common in these times for beggars to line the streets in order to try and receive money from those who passed by as this was their only means of support.
Bartimaeus clearly had heard about this Messiah, named Jesus who had been travelling from place to place healing the sick. It is clear from this account Bartimaeus knew who Jesus was when He addressed him as ‘Son of David’ as it was known the Messiah would come from David’s line. Perhaps he had been begging by the Jericho road for many years. No doubt there had been throngs of people over the years who had passed by Bartimaeus as he sat begging, none of whom could substantially change his circumstances. He still wore the cloak of a beggar which enabled him to ‘legally’ beg for his needs. In other words, his cloak identified him as a beggar. Furthermore, blindness in these times was considered a curse from God for sin, so he was destined to a life of poverty and dependence on others for his very existence.
Then one day, Jesus with his disciples and a large crowd were leaving the city. Bartimaeus heard Jesus was passing by and began to shout so much so that even after being told to be quiet he caught the attention of the Healer who told the people to bring Bartimaeus to him.
Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak. He threw off his identity as a beggar. We can only assume he was expecting a miracle as he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. Jesus asked him a simple but profound question. “What do you want me to do for you?” (v50) The reply was equally simple yet profound. Simple – all he said was “I want to see”. Profound in that he was totally trusting Jesus’ ability to not only restore his sight, but change his life forever as a result.
It fascinates me to read Jesus in this instance didn’t make mud, (as He did with the blind man in John 9), didn’t lay hands on or even pray for him. He simply made the declaration: - “Go your faith has healed you.” The Bible declares immediately he received his sight. Bartimaeus’ ‘immediately’ no doubt took many years to come but in a moment of time his life was forever changed. We don’t know much more about him in the aftermath of this miracle except he became a follower of Jesus.
As I think back over my life the breakthrough has most often come when least expected and usually after a lengthy period of waiting and if honest not always with patience.
My wife, Roslynne and I felt called to full time ministry through a prophetic word given to us with which our spirits had a strong witness, when baptised as adults at the ripe ages of 28 and 31 respectively. We were full of excitement and anticipation and truly thought this would come to pass in the short term. We were ready for whatever that looked like – well we thought we were at least.
It was 12 long years later, when we least expected it, from a place we least expected, an invitation was given to join the pastoral team in a city 300 kms away. To say our lives were forever changed as a result is an understatement. Our ‘suddenly’, or ‘immediately’ came after a period of waiting, learning, growing and never letting go of the word of the Lord.
Let’s look briefly at another ‘famous suddenly’ found in Acts 2. “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
I believe there were three ingredients for this historic ‘suddenly’ that was to change the face of the church for ever. Jesus had promised on His return to heaven He would send a Helper, Counsellor and Comforter in the person of the Holy Spirit who would live in each and every believer. He made it clear to His disciples they were to wait in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father came to them.
The first ingredient was expectation. They all waited in one accord (unity) in the upper room for this promise of the Father. They had no idea what the promised Holy Spirit would look like or indeed when He would come. They simply waited expectantly – is today the day the promise will come to pass?
The second ingredient was faithfulness. They continued faithfully in prayer in this upper room. They continued the work Jesus had passed onto them with diligence and faithfulness. They continued in prayer and supplication – asking God & expecting an answer.
The third ingredient was obedience. No doubt there many pressing needs in society at this time. They had been commissioned to do the works of Jesus. He’d told them to go into all the world and preach, baptise, heal and look after the poor. It would have been so easy be distracted with the works of the ministry. After all that was what He’d told them to do. However, there was one more important instruction – wait until you have received power from on high.
In other words, His instructions to them were to wait until they were empowered to do these works. The ‘suddenly’ of Pentecost, the ‘immediately’ of their transformation only came after a period of expectation, faithfulness and obedience.
The same remains true for us today. The Bible says it is with “faith and patience we inherit the promises.” Heb 6:12. This is countercultural in our modern society. Patience is a rare commodity in a fast paced world where we have instant answers to our questions on Google. If we desire Kingdom results we have to ‘do life’ the Kingdom way.
Let me encourage you to wait for your breakthrough or your answer with expectation, faithfulness i.e. keep doing that which He’s called you to do, and patience. It is in quietness and trust we find strength (Isa 30:15).