When God Doesn't Make Sense: Part 2 - "When God Seems Late" with Craig Groeschel - Life.Church

When God Seems Late

Scripture References

• John 11

Overview

Waiting feels like wasted time, yet Jesus shows that delay can carry divine purpose. John 11 recounts Mary, Martha, and Lazarus—close friends of Jesus—who expected a quick healing. Instead, Jesus arrived four days after Lazarus died, only to raise him and reveal, “I am the resurrection and the life.” From their story and our own waiting rooms, the message presses three convictions: with God a waiting season is never a wasted season; God’s delays are not His denials; and when He appears late, He is often positioning us for something far greater than we asked.

Main Points

Waiting Is Real and Painful

• Everyone hates waiting—​for boiling water, green lights, jobs, answers, pregnancies, reconciliations, or healing.
• Honest question many ask: “Why doesn’t God do something about it?”
• Key thought repeated:

  “With God a waiting season is never a wasted season.”

God’s Delays Are Not Necessarily God’s Denials

• Mary and Martha sent word: “Lord, the one you love is sick.” They assumed immediate action because of friendship.
• Jesus stayed away two more days; by the time He arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days (“he stinketh”).
• First-century belief: for three days a spirit might hover, but by day four hope was gone—so the delay erased all human expectation.
• Divine delay often serves a larger purpose; God may work in us (patience, dependence, deeper faith) before working for us.
  • Illustration: Pastor’s daughter Anna—26-month knee recovery despite surgery, prayer, and best doctors—teaches ongoing trust.

Faith Between Page 907 and Page 908

• Preacher held up a Bible: bottom of page 907 = no hope; turn to 908 = Jesus’ promise, “Your brother will rise again.”
  • Illustration: “We’re living on 907, praying 908 will turn.”
• Martha voiced both disappointment and faith: “If you’d been here… but I know even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
• Jesus redefined hope: resurrection is not merely an event; “I AM the resurrection and the life.”

God Often Exceeds Our Expectations

• The sisters wanted a healing; Jesus planned a resurrection—an outcome far beyond their request.

  “If God always met your expectations, He would never have the opportunity to exceed them.”

• Roll the stone away—Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out,” and the dead man walked.
• Principle echoed through examples: the job not received, the relationship that ended, the unanswered prayer—God may be steering toward something better.

Living in the Gap

• Many listeners are still on “page 907”: financial strain, marital tension, prodigal children, health crises.
  • Story: Close family friend’s daughter in a medically induced coma—congregation invited to pray, knowing 908 has not yet come.
• Trust holds us between what we see and what God will show: “All things work together for good to those who love Him.”

Key Truths

• Waiting with God is purposeful, never pointless.
• A delay does not equal a “no”; it may signal a bigger “yes.”
• God often shapes our character before He changes our circumstances.
• Jesus is not late; He is orchestrating events for His glory and our good.
• The scene of greatest disappointment can become the setting for God’s greatest miracle.

Response

• Keep praying—even when the timeline stretches longer than expected.
• Look for what God wants to form in you during the delay.
• Speak honestly with God about your disappointment while choosing trust.
• Encourage someone else who is stuck on their “page 907.”
• Anticipate that God may answer in ways that surpass your original request.

Closing

Delay does not diminish God’s love or power. Like Mary and Martha, we may stand at a tomb bewildered, yet Jesus is already planning the greater story. Whether 908 holds a healing or a resurrection, He will be glorified. One sentence captured the call:

“With God, a waiting season is never a wasted season.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, forgive me of all my sins and make me brand new.
I believe Jesus died for me so I could live for You.
Fill me with Your Spirit so I can serve You and follow You for the rest of my life.
My life is not my own—today I give it to You.
Thank You for new life; now You have mine.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.