The hummingbirds have stopped coming to our feeder. We have been away and evidently the feeder went dry in our absence and now the birds ignore it even though it is full of sweet nectar again.

Human beings often act like the little hummingbirds. How often have we seen someone pray and because God did not answer the prayer immediately and exactly as requested they gave up and simply stopped praying. Certainly God hears prayer but God works things out His own way and in His own time. Look how long Abraham had to wait for his promised son to be born. No doubt he prayed for this daily year in and year out. What would have happened if he had given up on God like our little hummingbirds did on us? It would appear that sometimes we twist the words around that the young boy Samuel said and instead of saying with him, ”Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth” we appear to say”Listen, Lord, for thy servant speaketh.” We seem to think that God should give us what we want when we want it and if He doesn’t, then we will stop praying and decide that he does not regard our prayers.

Man is in such a rush. God is not. ”Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” God does not execute His work speedily: Because he does not, many are led to thinking that He is dead. God told Abraham that the ”iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” When it was full, and it took hundreds and hundreds of years for it to happen, God sent His children into the promised land under the leadership of Joshua. Evidently the iniquity of the Gentiles is not yet full, but when it is, God will bring His children into the promised land under the leadedship of Jesus. In the meantime those who are not wise think that God is either dead or doesn’t care.

Peter predicted that men would say, ”Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” Because God does not respond when man thinks He should many doubt if He ever will, but ”the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Habbakkuk tells us ”the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” The writer to the Hebrews tells us ”for, yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.”

God has His own timetable and He is working things out for our ultimate good. The important thing for us to remember is to keep on trying and continue to pray fervently although it may seem that our prayers are not being answered. It was foolish for our little hummingbirds to go away from the feeder when it is now full of the sweet nectar they like, but in their case they will find food somewhere else. If we go away from the well of living waters where shall we go? There are no other living waters to go to, only sin and death. When some of Christ’s disciples went back and followed him no more He looked upon his chosen twelve with sad eyes and asked, ”Will ye also go away?” Peter gave the answer we all want to remember, ”Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”

Even though God may appear to be ignoring our prayer we know He hears it and what is happening is for the best, for ”all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”