About a decade ago, I came across this quote:
“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.” — A.W. Tozer
This Season of Yours…
There is an exhaustion that comes from feeling late.
Late to success.
Late to marriage.
Late to clarity.
Late to becoming who you thought you would be by now.
It creeps in quietly and then suddenly becomes loud: the pressure of age, timelines, unanswered prayers, and goals that seem to move further away the harder you chase them. In those moments, it can feel as though time itself is an enemy and God is silent.
But Tozer’s words remind us that God is not racing the clock.
When Deadlines Become a Burden
Deadlines are useful. They help us plan, prepare, and steward our time well. But when deadlines become a measure of our worth or faithfulness, they turn cruel. Sometimes they whisper lies like:
“You should be further by now.”
“If it hasn’t happened yet, it probably never will.”
“You ought to have kids by now.”
“You should be married by now.”
“You’ve missed your moment.”
These thoughts don’t motivate; they only suffocate, drain joy from the present and replace hope with panic. And since I know for a surety that God does not operate from panic, I bring you these words of assurance and reassurance today.
Divine Delay Is Not Divine Denial
What we often label as delay is sometimes progressive design. God sees the full picture of who you are becoming, what you will need to sustain what you are asking for, and what must be healed, learned, or aligned before the next season opens. What feels slow to you may be mercy in disguise.
A rushed blessing can crush an unprepared soul.
A hurried season can destroy what patience would have preserved.
I have had many moments that have ushered me to the conclusion that not all delay is punishment. Sometimes, it is protection.
God’s Timing Quietly Builds You
While you wait, something is happening, whether you feel it or not.
Your character is deepening.
Your discernment is sharpening.
Your dependence on God is being refined.
The waiting season is not empty; it is formative.
Your waiting season is always wrapped in lesons. It teaches you to trust God without applause, guarantees, or visible progress. And that kind of trust is not shallow; it lasts.
For the One Who Feels Like Giving Up
If you are tired, discouraged, or tempted to quit because time feels against you, hear this clearly:
You are not behind.
You are not forgotten.
Your biological clock is not ticking.
Your career clock is not broken.
You are not racing against time, and God is not late.
The same God who placed the desire in your heart knows exactly when and how it should unfold. Your responsibility is not to force the future, but to remain faithful in the present season.
If God is not done working, please do not be done with waiting.
There are no deadlines God must meet. And because of that, there is room for hope, even now, because sometimes a season that looks like delay is simply God refusing to rush what He intends to last. I’ll leave you with the words of the song ‘Seasons’ by Hillsong:
I know
Though the winter is long even richer
The harvest it brings
Though my waiting prolongs even greater
Your promise for me like a seed
I believe that my season will come
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