Though It Tarries, Wait for It

Corrie ten Boom told a beautiful story about her family line. 

In Holland in the 1840s—a century before WWII—her grandfather started a prayer fellowship for the Jews. 

This was an unusual idea among Christians at the time. The Jews were scattered throughout the world, without a country or a national identity; Jerusalem was a city torn by centuries of conflict. The attention of the world was not upon the Middle East, and yet a small group of Dutch believers met in a little Haarlem house … to read the Scriptures and pray for the Jews.
In a divine way that is beyond our human understanding, God answered those prayers. It was in the same house, exactly one hundred years later, that Grandfather’s son, my father, and four of his grandchildren and one great-grandson were arrested for helping save the lives of Jews during the German occupation of Holland….
So many times we wonder why God has certain things happen to us. We try to understand the circumstances of our lives, and we are left wondering. But God’s foolishness is so much wiser than our wisdom.
From generation to generation, from small beginnings and little lessons, He has a purpose for those who know and trust him (In My Father’s House, pp. 12-13).

It took 100 years for Corrie’s grandfather’s prayers to come to fruition … but they came to fruition in the end!

This expands my idea about what “answered prayer” looks like.

In the case of Corrie’s grandfather, his prayers were absolutely answered, but he did not see the answer while he was still on this earth.

And yet, as one of my elders used to say, “Nothing that you do for Christ is ever lost or wasted.”

Or, in the words of Hebrews 6:10: “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (KJV). 

Or, the same verse in the NIV: “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”

The ways that we minister to the saints, the ways that we cry out for God’s mercy on this broken, hurting world … we are part of the story. 

Even if we don’t see the answer with our eyes, our prayers matter.

Lord, Habakkuk 2:3 says: “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.”

You are not late, Lord! May we not be weary. Give us eagerness and the grace to continue in prayer. Thank you for the record of history, that when your people pray for something, it comes to pass. Amen!

Thank God who gives us the victory, through our Lord Jesus the Messiah,

Amy Joy

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