Do not give up those prayers which God’s Spirit has put in your
hearts–for remember, the things you have asked for are worth waiting
for. Besides, you are a beggar when you are in prayer; therefore you
must not be a chooser as to the time when God shall hear you. If you had
right ideas of yourself, you would say, “It is a wonder that He ever
listens to me at all, so unworthy as I am. Does the Infinite indeed bow
His ear to me? May I hope He will at last listen to me? Then I may well
continue my prayers.”
And recollect it is your only hope: there is no other Saviour. This or
none–Christ’s blood or else eternal wrath. And to whom shall you go, if
you turn away from Him? None ever yet perished pleading for mercy;
therefore keep on.
Besides, better men than you have had to wait. Kings, and patriarchs,
and prophets have waited; therefore surely you can be content to sit in
the King’s antechamber a little while. It is an honor to sit as Mordecai
did at the gate. Pray on–wait on!
“Ah!” says one, “that is just what I have been doing a long time.” Yes,
yes, there are different kinds of waiting. A man says, “I have been
waiting:” but he has folded his arms and gone to sleep. You may wait
in that way till you are lost. The waiting I mean is “getting all things
ready”–the waiting of the poor sufferer for the physician, who cries
out in pain, “Is the doctor coming?” I will be surety for my Master when
I say that none such will be sent empty away. He will never break his
promise. Try Him –TRY HIM!