And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the LORD. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
How long? In our time-crunched world, we need to know how long an event is because we have crammed another event in our schedule that requires our attendance. I am especially guilty. How long O Lord? That was a different cry, from David in Psalm 13. He asked God four times in the psalm how long he would be pursued by his enemies. In this case, a few years before David came on the scene, the Philistines had captured the ark, suffered plagues because of it, returned it, and the house of Israel suddenly saw the power of God and “lamented after him”. They repented.
For how long? 20 years. You may be suffering today and asking, “How long O Lord?” If it takes 20 years of prayer and longing for a loved one to receive Christ, I believe you would see 20 years as a minute if such a joyous outcome occurs. Just like Israel, whose heart was turned to the Lord through years of longing, may we long for Jesus with such fervency. We do not know how long this world will be in birth pangs but praise God that, just as the ark returned, so will Jesus.
Dear Lord, thank you for the years we have on this earth to pray and praise. May we not waste a minute of it today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church