That happens when anybody begins seeking the Lord. There will be a great setback, you can be sure of it. It will come right into you. ‘Yes, but I can't be saved. I've sinned too much. I've repudiated the Lord before. He won't hear me; he won't respond to me. And anyway, what would my friends and colleagues think? I can't do this. They will despise me. And if you're young, you may be in a position where the voice comes within you, ‘What will my girlfriend say? What will my boyfriend say? They are against this. They laugh at this. They ridicule this. How can I go on? I can't give him up. I can't give her up. I must drop all this.’ It is the enemy of souls at work. He is trying to destroy your seeking and finding of Almighty God. You have to trust the Saviour, trust the word of God, and press forward.
What is faith for us? That Christ is the Messiah and can and will heal our souls if we come sincerely to him. He has promised salvation to all who come, and will never disappoint any who come to him. We must believe Christ is the Saviour promised in the prophets. He has taken the weight of my punishment upon himself. I must believe in repentance, because there can be no blessing without belief.
Wasn’t it tragic the Lord had delayed? No, for it was what he intended – Christ is never the victim of circumstances, but Lord of all events. There had been a delay in coming to Jairus’ house and the girl had died, but this was not some mistake on the Lord’s part as if he is limited in how much he can do at once. He delays often in his answers to prayer. You pray for a loved one and time goes by. Don’t give up. The delay is part of the Lord’s plan. See how he deals with obvious anxieties. ‘Be not afraid.’ Don’t fret. Don’t let the devil make you discouraged. So what if the Lord doesn’t answer as you want – he will answer you in a broader way. Be concerned, but don’t be anxious. Some tell us that faith is believing that Christ will do exactly what we ask. No, it is belief in Christ, which includes belief in his wisdom to answer me in the way he chooses. I believe he can do anything wholesome and right that he chooses to do. I should not try to convince myself that he will do exactly as I ask. Yet he sees the deep concerns we bring to him prayer, and he sympathises with us.
When you begin to seek the Lord and ask him to save you, some great distraction may come. Don’t take any notice of that; focus on the one thing which is most important – to find the Lord. It may be that with the young, something in the world draws you away – some new opportunity, some new relationship possibility. No, come to Christ first, and then, as your Lord, he will help you evaluate life’s decisions and the direction you should go.