John 11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he is stinking, for he hath been dead four days.
[ The Desire of Ages pp 535] When the Lord is about to do a work, Satan moves upon someone to object. “Take ye away the stone,” Christ said. As far as possible, prepare the way for My work. But Martha's positive and ambitious nature asserts itself. She was unwilling that the decomposing body should be brought to view.
In all of the three examples given during our study the persons in question did wait for some length of time. The Hebrews waited, Abraham and Sarah also waited, and king Saul also waited. The problem is that their waiting was premised on reasonable or specific time frames that they themselves had predetermined, or in Saul’s case, the stipulated time frame given by God had come and gone.
Since we were little children, we have been hearing for years that Jesus is coming soon. Doug Bachelor has preached it, E.E Cleveland has preached it, most of our pastors have preached it, and we ourselves have preached it. Some have come and gone, others are aging, and yet, for some reason it might seem to persons that there is a delay, and so, the question arises in many minds: “How soon is soon?”
Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!