He loved, yet lingered. We are so quick to think that delayed answer to prayer means that the prayer is not going to be answered. Dr. Stuart Holden has said truly: “Many a time we pray and are prone to interpret God’s silence as a denial of our petitions; whereas, in truth, He only defers their fulfillment until such time as we ourselves are ready to cooperate to the full in His purposes.” Prayer registered in heaven is prayer dealt with, although the vision still tarries.

Faith is trained to its supreme mission under the discipline of patience. The man who can wait God’s time, knowing that He edits his prayer in wisdom and affection, will always discover that He never comes to man’s aid one minute too soon or too late.

God’s delay in answering the prayer of our longing heart is the most loving thing God can do. He may be waiting for us to come closer to Him, prostrate ourselves at His feet, and abide there in trustful submission that His granting of the longed-for answer may mean infinitely greater blessing than if we received it anywhere else than in the dust at His feet.

O wait, impatient heart! As winter waits, her songbirds fed. And every nestling blossom dead; Beyond the purple seas they sing! Beneath soft snows they sleep! They only sleep. Sweet patience keep And wait, as winter waits the spring.

Nothing can hold our ship down when the tide comes in! The aloe blooms but once in a hundred years; but every hour of all that century is needed to produce the delicate texture and resplendent beauty of the flower.

Faith heard the sound of “the tread of rain,” and yet God made Elijah wait! God never hastens, and He never tarries!

A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.—We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.—It became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.—Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

Behold how he loved.—He took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

He died for all.—Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

He . . . liveth to make intercession for them.—I go to prepare a place for you.

I will come again, and receive you unto myself that where I am, there ye may be also.—Father, I will that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.—Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

We love him, because he first loved loved us.—The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but to him which died for them, and rose again.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.