“Ten days passed before the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.” (Jeremiah 42:7)

Following the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 B. C. and the exile of much of the Jewish leadership, a remnant of leading Jewish citizens asked Jeremiah what the Lord wanted them to do. Jeremiah went to the Lord on their behalf, but the Lord took ten days before he answered him. 

It is interesting to note that God did not answer Jeremiah immediately but waited ten days.  While ten days may not sound long, it was apparently significant enough for this Old Testament author to mention it. 

Christians often lament on how long the Lord takes to respond to their prayers.  Yet our patience is often rewarded, as the following story illustrates.

Our daughter, Emily, who was born with Down syndrome, worked at a bakery and catering business for twelve years after her schooling.  The business shut down during COVID and never reopened.  The following year she worked at a similar business for a time, but it was not as pleasant a working environment and she did not have the peers that she was accustomed to working with in the former business.  As a result, she became very sad and stopped working.  We prayed for over a year for a new work opportunity to develop but none did. 

Then my wife and our other daughters came up with the idea for her to serve coffee and cookies for people who attended daily mass at our parish for a couple of days during the week.  They named the ministry “Coffee and Community.”  The parish staff and pastor approved the idea, we hired a job coach to help with preparation of the coffee, and Emily and my wife make the cookies.  She loves greeting people, giving them a hug, a cup for their coffee, and some cookies.  The custodian sets up three round tables and anywhere from a dozen to thirty or more people show up for a cup of coffee, a cookie, and great fellowship. 

We prayed for over a year for just the right job for Emily.  The Lord not only gave her work to do, but a whole new set of friends.  She loves the people, and the people love her as well as the fellowship they enjoy with one another.   

God is faithful!  Sometimes his response takes time for various circumstances to develop so that the answer is in furtherance of his perfect will and Kingdom. 

Are you waiting on God to answer a particular prayer?