Divine Delay

SUMMARY

In this sermon launching the "Staying Grounded" series, Karl Ihfe addresses the frustration we all feel when life doesn't go according to our timeline. Drawing from personal experiences with flight delays, he transitions to the deeper question of life delays - those seasons when relationships, jobs, or circumstances don't unfold as expected. Karl asks a pivotal question: "What if God isn't being late? He's just being patient. And we're struggling with impatience."

The heart of the message centers on Moses' story from Exodus 3, particularly the 40 years Moses spent in the wilderness after fleeing Egypt. Karl points out that Moses went "from prince to pasture, from influence to anonymity" during this extended delay. Yet it was precisely in this ordinary moment - tending sheep in the desert - that God appeared in the burning bush and revealed Moses' calling to deliver Israel. Karl emphasizes that God waited for Moses' attention before speaking, suggesting that many of us might be missing God's voice because we're too busy rushing through our delays. The sermon concludes with an encouragement to embrace the pause, pay attention to our "burning bush" moments, and trust that God uses delays not to punish us but to prepare us for what He has planned next.

TRANSCRIPTION:

Well, it's good to be with you. We hope you've had a merry Christmas and will have a very happy New Year. We're excited to get to spend this last Sunday together. We're gonna actually talk for the next couple of weeks about something.

I hope it's at least it's been chasing me, haunting me a little bit, if you will. And so I'm gonna invite you into that journey. But it's called a series called Staying Grounded, where we're gonna think together about some of the challenges that we face in our lives these days. Have you ever had a delay at the airport? I know that may sound strange, but some of us have actually had a delay when we were flying somewhere.

I was thinking back even this week of a couple of delays I've had most recently. One of them was Kayla and I were coming back from visiting Hallie overseas, and we were getting onto our flight from Dallas back to Lubbock. And as we showed up, we were hour early. So we were on time. We were in the right place.

Everything was going great, except as it got closer to time to board, we noticed nobody was stirring, nobody was moving around the gate area. And suddenly they came on the announcement, your flight's been delayed about 15 minutes. We thought, no problem. And then 30 minutes, no problem. Then 45 minutes and no problem.

And then they just quit saying there was a delay. In fact, they did something I never heard them do before. They said, well, we're waiting on a flight crew member who's not here yet. And I thought, well, that's not a very nice thing to do. Who knows why this flight crew member was not able to be there?

Luckily, this person got there and they were able to get us back here. But it's frustrating, isn't it, when we have to wait on something, especially something that we've been anticipating and expecting, Even when it's no fault of our own, even when we've done everything seemingly right. But life has a way of throwing delays at us, doesn't it? Maybe it's in a relationship that you thought was going to work out, but it ends. Maybe it's in a job opportunity that you saw an open door and that door has closed.

Or maybe it's a season of life that you thought was going to be short and sweet, and it's extended longer than you anticipated. I want us to think about these delays that we face. What if those delays weren't exactly what we thought? What if God isn't being late? He's just being patient.

And we're struggling with impatience. What if the delay isn't intended to stop us or to hold us back, but to keep us grounded? What would it look like for us to stay grounded in God? This is a question I want us to chase for the next couple of weeks. As 2025 comes to a close and as 2026 opens up before us, I want us to look at a couple of moments, a couple of people, stories in scripture where there were some unexpected delays and how happens and how God used those pauses in life to reshape and to reform and to reignite purpose.

You know, some of us know the feeling of a flight delay and the frustration that comes with that. But I would imagine many of us understand a life delay, something we were hoping for and it just hadn't happened yet. My hope is that wherever you are on this journey, that you'll be encouraged over the next couple of weeks as we think together about how these delays can actually serve a purpose in our life, how God can use them to bless us, to lead us, to reorient our schedules, if we'll humble ourselves and listen, maybe listen in a new way. So, to start, let's turn over to Exodus, chapter three, the passage that George read for us just a moment ago. As you make your way there, let me catch us up to speed on where we are in our point in the story.

You know, as Exodus opens up, we learn first off that Joseph and all his brothers, in fact that whole generation that had gone to Egypt who had served Pharaoh so well, they've all died, and now a new king is in charge. And he doesn't know anything about Joseph. He doesn't really care much about Joseph, who he is and what he's done. In fact, the only thing we learn he cares about is in verse nine of chapter one, he says, look, the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them, or they will become even more numerous.

And if war breaks out, we'll join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country, right? So Pharaoh installs some masters over these Israelites, and he begins to oppress them. But what he finds out is the. The more he oppresses, the more they multiply. And so he decides to take a different tact.

He says to the Hebrew midwives, when you're helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, now, from what I've heard, that's not quite as luxurious as it sounds to be on a birthing stool, I don't really know what that is. But when they're there, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him. But if it's a girl, let her live. Well, quickly he learns that the midwives fear God and they won't follow his direction. So he takes yet another tact.

He says to all his people, every Hebrew boy that is born, you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live. So Moses is born just after this, not. Not long after this command is given. But his mother, rather than throwing him in the now, creates this little basket, places him in and floats him down the river. And he kind of happens to just float right into the area where Pharaoh's daughter has gone down to try to take a bath.

And she finds him, and their. Her servants bring her to him. Well, Moses sister is kind of watching from the sidelines, and she rushes up to Pharaoh's dream daughter and says, hey, would you like me to get a Hebrew woman to nurse this baby and take care of it? And Pharaoh's daughter says, well, that would be wonderful. Thank you for offering.

And she says, no problem. I know just the one. And she runs back, gets Moses's mom, brings her back. And now Moses gets to be cared for and tended to by his own mother, right? Incredible story.

Moses grows up in the palace, right? He's educated, he's given every benefit that comes from being in the palace. And the world is his oyster, as we might say. Until one day he goes outside after he's grown up, and he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. And so he kills the Egyptian.

He buries them in the sand. The next day he goes back out and there's another fight that's broken out. Only this time, it's between two Hebrews. And so he breaks them up. Guys, what's the deal?

You don't want to fight each other? And one of them turns to him and says this. Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed that Egyptian? And all of a sudden, now Moses, secret that he thought was a secret is not a secret.

It's been exposed. And it won't be long before Pharaoh finds out about it and tries to kill him. So Moses flees to Midian, and he's there for a few decades now. That's where we find ourselves in the passage that George read a moment ago. Let's take a look again at what we're told.

As Moses was tending the flock of his father in law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness to Horeb, the mountain of the God. The mountain of God. And there, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames from within a bush. And Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it didn't burn. And he thought, I will go over and see this strange sight, why the bush does not burn up.

And when the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush. Moses. Moses. Moses said, here I am. Don't come any closer.

Take off your sandals, for the place that you're standing is holy ground. Moses had been in the wilderness. Moses had been on delay for 40 years. Now, just think about that for a minute. That's not just a long month.

That's not just a long year. That's a long lifetime. Waiting, being delayed. Moses went from Pharaoh's palace, where he had every advantage and opportunity. In fact, he was positioned for some pretty great things, to being a shepherd in the desert.

He went from prince to pasture, from influence to anonymity. He went from destiny to obscurity. Now, just imagine. I can only imagine how Moses must have thought. I guess this is my story.

I guess this is how it all is going to end. I'm just going to be out here in the desert. I mean, 40 years must have caused a few questions. But what we learn is God doesn't waste wilderness time, does he? You see, delays can teach us a few things if we'll let them.

And the first thing I think that a delay can teach us is it's often where God reveals a calling and our life. You know, it's one ordinary day that Moses goes out to do his job. There's nobody around there to cheer him on. Way to go, Moses. Way to tend those sheep.

You're so awesome, buddy. He's just doing the same thing he's done every day for 40 years. There's nothing special, nothing flashy, nothing impressive. And that's exactly where God shows up. A bush is burning, but it's not consumed.

And notice the detail. We're told that God doesn't speak immediately. Moses, come over here. That's not what he does. We're told when the Lord saw that Moses had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush.

God waits for Moses attention. God waits for Moses to start paying attention. The miracle. It was visible. But the voice didn't come until Moses paused.

Now, church. I wonder how many times the voice of God is waiting not on our performance, but on our attention. Will we stop and listen? The burning bush Wasn't just a spectacle. It was an invitation.

It was an opportunity to slow down and listen. You know, some of us are frustrated because we're asking God to speak to us, yet while at the same time we're rushing past all that. He's ready to tell us we're in between seasons, right? We're not where we were, but we're also not yet where we'd like to be. And we're tempted to think it's wasted time.

But what if, church. What if your delay is where God wants to reveal your calling? What if your purpose isn't discovered on the platform doing your thing, but instead out in the pasture waiting? And maybe this next year will be an opportunity for you not to rush through your delay, but to pause. Maybe there's a burning bush waiting for your attention.

You just haven't seen it because you're so busy going from one thing to the next to the next. See, calling is often clarified in the waiting, isn't it? In those delays when it feels like nothing's happening. But God met Moses in the delay. The delay wasn't dead time.

In fact, what we're told is the delay. It was actually holy ground. See, after Moses approaches the bush, God speaks to him and gives him this calling. We're told in verse 10. So now Moses goes, I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.

But Moses said to God, who am I? That I should go? Here's the second thing that delays often reveal to us. Not only is it an opportunity to God to reveal a calling, but it's often a case that reveals our excuses. When God finally speaks, Moses doesn't respond with confidence, but with insecurity.

Right now, before we give Moses too hard a time, let's just imagine ourselves in his position. Who am I? Right? After 40 years of waiting, who am I? All Moses can see are his limitations.

I see. When waiting stretches on, our confidence often wanes. We replay our failures over and over again, right? We magnify our weaknesses. We rehearse our regrets, the things we wish had gone different.

Moses continues, in fact, as you read on through chapter three and into chapter four, he just rehearses these excuses. I'm not eloquent. I'm not qualified. He finally gets to the end and says, look, God, could you just pick somebody else? It's just not me.

I'm not your guy. But notice what God doesn't do. God doesn't argue with Moses resume. He doesn't say, hey, hang on, buddy. Don't sell yourself short, right?

You grew up in the Egyptian palace. I mean, who better to send back to Egypt than the guy who grew up in the palace? Who. Who better to send back to speak to the people than the guy who knows their language? He doesn't say that.

Instead, he says one thing. Verse 12. I will be with you. I'll be with you. I mean, that's the promise that God makes, not only to him, but to us.

I'll be with you. We often think God needs our capability.

Maybe what God needs most is our availability. As a preacher, that one hits really close to home. As a guy whose job it is to work for God, how available am I really versus just doing my job? You see, so often we get confused in the delays. You know, if you're feeling stuck in a delay, you're feeling some insecurity or some regret or a little fear, then what I want to say to you this morning is this.

Congratulations. You're in really good company. We seem to find that a lot, not only here with Moses, but all throughout Scripture. You see, God still calls people who have doubts and fears and insecurities. He still calls people with dents in their credit history who have relational exceptions, who are struggling in lots of different ways.

See, what we'll learn from a delay is it's not there to disqualify us. It's actually there to strip away the illusion that we were in control in the first place. I mean, how many of us could do well to learn that lesson? Heading into a new year, you're not in control. This waiting time that God gives to us sometimes, or maybe life gives to us sometimes.

Delay gives us space to confront the lies that we have about ourselves. See, God doesn't need a polished version of us. He doesn't need the perfect person. He needs an available person. He needs a willing person.

Church, Would we be willing to allow God to help expose our excuses, not to shame us, not to do anything but remind us? It's never been about our strength. It's always been about his presence. What if the delay might teach us? It's not about how strong or smart or beautiful or fast or talented or whatever you are.

It's about God with you. And if God is with you, well, who could be against you? I think I've heard that somewhere. Which leads us kind of to the last thing that I think if we're willing, delays could teach us. And that delays often are preparing us for what's next, for our next step.

Perhaps you've heard of David in Psalm 27, he writes these words at the end of the psalm. Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. I mean, David knew a thing or two about delays, right? We spent a summer thinking about his life. David was just a teenager when he was anointed the next king of Israel.

But he waited years before he would ever take the throne. In that in between, David learned how to wait. But he learned that waiting is not doing nothing. It's doing the next right thing and trusting that God will take care of the outcome. You see, while Moses was shepherding sheep, God was shaping a leader.

And while David was hiding in a cave, God was preparing the heart of a king. So while you're on your delay, what might God be shaping and forming in you? So may we hear the words of David once again this morning. Take heart, church, be strong, wait on God. Because those who wait on the Lord are never left waiting in vain.

In fact, what we learn is that delay is a divine delay. What if your delay is not about God punishing you, but God's preparing you? What might God be preparing for you this next year? My hope is the next couple of weeks as we think about the delays that we're experiencing, that we'll see them less as punishment and more as a classroom. An opportunity for us to have our calling revealed to us.

Or maybe the excuses exposed and those revealed to us, or maybe reminding ourselves God's preparing us for something. So this morning, if you find yourself stuck at the gate, it may be relational or spiritual. It may be professional, maybe financial. If you find yourself struggling with regret, fear, and you're just waiting, others seem to be taking off and you're stuck at the gate. Let me remind you, let me invite you, embrace the pause, embrace the delay.

Don't run from it. Don't try to drown it out with staying busy. Instead, would you pay attention to your burning bush? Is there a way God's trying to get your attention? And ask not just God, what are you trying to fix, but God, what are you trying to form?

What are you trying to teach me? What are you trying to show me? Would you give me eyes to see and ears to hear? And when you're tempted to believe that your delay is pointless, remember this. It may be the very place where God's trying to meet with you.

May you experience his presence. May we experience his presence this next year in the midst of our delays, as he walks us into our calling, as he helps us work through our excuses, and as he prepares us for our next step. God, may that be true of us this year. May we experience your presence in a powerful way. Would you show us once again remind us that you are with us.

God, so many of us, especially in this holiday season, we are so busy going from one thing to the next to the next that we often go right past the burning bush that you set aflame in our life. God, would you give us eyes to see? Would you help us to stop and to pay attention? You got to know that's a scary thing because it's often in those moments when we stop and we try to quiet ourselves that that monkey mind comes into play that all of a sudden we start rehear our failures and remembering all the ways that we have not been who you've called us to be. All the excuses that we could give of why you can't use a man, a woman, a young man, a young woman like me instead.

God, would you give us the courage to face those head on, knowing that what you need is not the perfect version of us. You just need the available version. So God, would you help us to have the courage to be available? Would you do the healing work in us that only you can do that would prepare us to become that man, that woman that you've called us to be? God, may 2026 be a different year because we're willing to embrace the delay, to open our hearts and our minds.

And God, we can only do it if we know you're with us. So God, would you make your presence with us again? Would you make it clear? Would you help us to feel it deep down in our heart? God, thank you for this church family that we get to walk this road not alone, but we get to do this together.

So God, would you help us to encourage one another as we head into this new year? Thank you Father, for who you are, for what you've done and what you will do. We offer this prayer in Jesus name, Amen.