The Bible says, “To everything, there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven." There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to sleep and a time to wake. A time to work and a time to rest. Under God there is a time for everything.

The Bible even says that the Holy Spirit can grieve. So, how can we, as human beings, not also have the right to grieve when something sorrowful happens? There was a time when the Bible said God repented that He had created man. Yea! That was a poor translation because the Hebrew word used there means “God was sorrowful that He made man." Does that mean that God didn’t foresee it? No! But if something sorrowful happens, one has to express sorrow. There is a saying that goes, “An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behaviour.”

So if God was laughing and rejoicing when his children entered fire, would that be a good or sensible God? Of course not. The same applies to our circumstances and situations. If I lose a job or a family member, or I get sick, of course, it is okay to be sad about it. It is OK to cry. Who says we can’t cry? I know that we come from a Christianity that almost puts people in denial. 

God does not put a person in denial. God doesn’t tell us to deny our pain. He wants us to be very conscious of the pain and sorrow that we go through. But, beyond being conscious of the pains and sorrows is having dominion over them; the pains, sorrows, and troubles don't control us so much that we do things that will cost us our souls.

Now, that is the difference between the child of God and the child of the world. Yes, we are sorrowful. Yes, we are even angry. But even in rage and anger, there are lines that we refuse to cross. So, it is okay to cry and say, "God, I am ‘actually’ tired," or “God, I am a bit frustrated; it’s been a trying time for me." Why can’t we cry to our father? He is our Father. It is very okay, and that doesn't mean we are faithless. It just means we acknowledge we are going through a tough time, which is alright. God wouldn’t have called the Holy Spirit a comforter if he didn’t acknowledge this. 

What we must be mindful of as children of God is not using the legitimacy of our pains and sorrows to do illegitimate things. The laws of God are given for our protection. If your parents say, “Don’t jump off the balcony,” you not jumping off the balcony is primarily for your preservation.

The first person that a sinful life harms is the person who lives in sin. This is why, no matter what, even though trying times come, there are standards that we as children of God must live by and never break for anything or anyone. 

You see, when we resolve to live a life that way, God always sends us support, one way or another, to give us faith, encouragement, and hope in all trying seasons. So, the fact that we cry doesn’t mean that we are without faith. You can cry in faith. Didn’t Jesus Christ cry when they beat him? The Bible says that in the garden of Gethsemane, He was sorrowful to the point of death (our very saviour, the progenitor of our faith), but even in that, he said, “Lord, let thy will be one." Now, that is the standard that has been set for us. 

I hope this gives you some clarity.

As for distinguishing between waiting seasons and delays, you have to inquire of the Lord. This is why we should cultivate how to hear from God, and there are so many media we would talk about in this programme, by the grace of God.

We must discern when to wage war (refuse a circumstance and a situation) and know when to endure. Paul said, “A thorn in my flesh was given to me, and I prayed to God three times that it be taken away, but God said, my grace is sufficient for you, and my strength is made perfect in your weaknesses." 

That was not a time to push away whatever that thorn represented; it was a time to endure so that the spirit of patience might be built inside him. 

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