The Postponed Blessings of God

“My prayer is unto Thee an acceptable time.” — Ps. Lxix. 13.

Prayers are commonly divided into two classes — those which are conformable to the will of God and those which are not. The psalmist would suggest a third class belonging to neither the one nor the other. He says there may be prayers which are not conformable to the will of God to-day, but which will be so to-morrow. There is, according to him, an acceptable time for the answering of certain prayers. He does not mean that there is an acceptable time for praying. The Heavenly Father appreciates prayer whether He can respond to it or not. The limitation is not to our petitions, but to God’s answers. We often ask things which are in accordance with God’s will, but for which we are not ready. A young child asks his father for a knife. Now, that is a possession within the rights of a human being. It is a possession which one day will be of great use to the petitioner for the cutting of knots which cannot be untied. But to-day it will cut not the string but the finger — will immolate not the child’s difficulties, but the child himself. I am quite sure that the father will for the present refuse the prayer; he will lay up the desired gift in a safe treasury, awaiting the time when its possession will cease to be a danger; it has been asked at a season which is not acceptable. Even so, there are special seasons for the gifts of the Heavenly Father. Many a man asks in April a gift of Divine fruit that will only be ripe in June. Take the case of Paul. Immediately after his conversion he prayed for a mission, “Lord, what wouldst Thou have me to do?” He was answered by being sent into the solitudes of Arabia. Was the gratification of his prayer denied, then? No, it was postponed. He had asked at an unacceptable time. He had desired for April the fruits of June. He was not ready for a mission. The light from heaven had overheated him. He needed to be cooled down ere he could deal with the practical wants of men. Accordingly, God prepared for him a place in the wilderness where he could rest and ponder. The mission was coming, but it was coming with the developed years; it was hid in the bosom of the Father till the acceptable time. My Father, help me to learn that I am heir to

221 possessions which exceed my present holding! They exceed my present power to hold — they are waiting for my summer. Do I ever thank Thee for the blessings which Thou postponest? I am afraid not. I am like the prodigal; I want to get all at once the portion that falleth to me; and, where it is not given, I deem it is refused. Teach me, O Lord, the beauty of Thy delayed answers! I have sometimes said in youth, “Lead me in green pastures; make me to lie down by quiet waters.” And lo! the road on which I travel has become rough, and the path has grown thorny, and the stillness has been broken by the storm! At such times it has seemed to me as if Thou hadst forgotten to be gracious. Teach me that the form of grace I have asked is not forgotten but postponed! Remind me that youth is not an acceptable time for green pastures and quiet waters! Remind me that Thy best gift to youth is just the rough road and the thorny path and the beating wind! Remind me that at the beginning of life we should not be made to lie down, but to rise up and work vigorously! Remind me that the acceptable time is coming — that I am even now the heir to the reserved blessing! Remind me that Thy day for the green pastures and the quiet waters and the lying down will be the after-

222 noon of my life — when I am weary with the burden and the heat, when I am oppressed with the circuit of the sun! Thy calm is for the mid-day, O Lord; Thy breeze is for the morning. Let me not ask the calm for the hour Thou hast destined for the breeze; send me Thy fruits in Thine acceptable time I