Lenten Reflection: Day 6

Jesus, the one who will never deny. 

Today I heard someone say "delay is not denial" in a prayer. 
"We thank you God that delay is not denial." 
I instantly had chills. 
As I've been thinking about it all day, my brain went to Moses. 
In Exodus, we hear the story of Moses and the Israelites as God leads His people out of years of slavery and oppression into freedom. 
It's a miraculous story of trust in God's word. In chapter 5-6, we read this interaction between Moses and God after Moses is struggling with seeing his people being afflicted and abused by the government he was once held power in. 
My brain jumped to this moment because sometimes we read scripture and assume that people had no qualms, no internal groaning or grievances with the struggles they endured. And that's just not true!
Acknowledging that, at least for me, lets me rest in my lamentations and prayers to God. 

"Moses returned to the Lord and said, 'Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.' Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.' God also said to Moses, 'I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant'" 
Exodus 5:22-6:5

Here we see not only see Moses' valid frustration and anger towards feeling ignored and powerless, but also we are reminded of the God we serve. 
"I am the LORD", God declares. I made covenants with your ancestors. And didn't I deliver? 
So often we unintentionally use God as a wishing well, timing Him as soon as our prayer is lifted so that He can get it done as soon as possible. 
I think of this scene in the Irish television show Derry Girls when the girls were about to receive their GCSE results and ask their headmistress and nun to pray for good results and she replies: 

"Yes, I'd say our lord is up there, looking down on the world thinking the floods and the famines can wait for there is a child in Derry who needs me to magically alter the contents of an envelope."

While it's obviously a joke, it does carry some weight to it. We want our best interests to be considered. And often, we struggle in our lives with loss, with sickness, with depression, with economic and familial issues so we cry out like Moses, "why have you brought trouble on your people, why Lord?" 
It's in these moments, I've found, that we are revealed the most of God's character, His undying love, and His eternal nature. 
He is who He is. 
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Moses. 
The God who gave us His son and through Him, our salvation and place in His kingdom. 
Our Redeemer, Our Sustainer, Our Brother and our Friend. 
And though it took three days, He never denied our salvation. 
Hebrews 10:23 reminds us of this: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
Praise be to God.