When God Seems Too Late

Have you ever been waiting on God and watched your deadline pass, leaving you feeling like you're past the point of no return? In this Devotion, Dianna Hobbs reminds you that God specializes in breathing life into dead circumstances, and He's about to turn your "too late" into a resurrection story proving there is nothing "too hard" for God.

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Standing in my kitchen this morning, preparing my daily cup of coffee, a memory hit me with such force I could almost taste it on my tongue. That happens more frequently now—these vivid flashbacks—as my brain continues its healing journey from a traumatic brain injury five years ago.

The memory? Government-issued powdered milk from my childhood. Our family lived below the poverty line then, relying on welfare to make ends meet. That powdered milk, which came in plain packaging with simple instructions to mix with water, was a daily reminder of our circumstances.

I can still see myself as a child, standing at the kitchen sink, letting the tap water run as cold as possible before mixing it with the powder. The taste was unmistakable—somewhere between baby formula and bland cereal—and no amount of cold water could quite disguise it. I hated it, but it was all we had.

This morning, the memory was so crystal clear that, for a moment, that distinctive flavor coated my tongue again. But instead of grimacing like I did as a child, I found myself smiling. Each returning memory is a quiet rebellion against what the doctors said—that any memories not recovered by now would be lost forever.

These flashbacks, even the ones that recall difficult times, have become precious to me. Every time one surfaces, I smile to myself, knowing it's evidence that God is still at work, still restoring, still proving that His timeline isn't bound by medical prognoses.

A ‘Too Late’ Story

I genuinely believe that when God hears "too late," He laughs—because to Him, it's just another way of saying "too hard."

And His response is, "watch me": "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27)

Friend, these lost memories that surface despite medical timelines remind me of a beloved “too late” Bible story—one that unfolds in the Gospel of John, chapter 11. When Jesus received word that His dear friend Lazarus was gravely ill, He was ministering across the Jordan River, where John had previously baptized Him. The message from Lazarus’s sisters was urgent: "Lord, the one you love is sick" (v. 3).

But Jesus’s response seemed puzzling. Though the Bible tells us He loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (v. 5), He stayed where He was for two more days (v. 6). This wasn't negligence or indifference, though it seemed so. Jesus explained to His disciples that this sickness would not end in death but was "for God's glory, so that God's Son may be glorified through it" (v. 4).

By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, hope had expired. Lazarus hadn't just died—he'd been in the tomb for four days.

No Hope of Recovery

Understanding the rapid decomposition in warm climates adds profound depth to Lazarus's story. In the sweltering Middle Eastern heat, where temperatures can soar, the decomposition process accelerates rapidly. Heat intensifies bacterial activity, causing tissues to break down swiftly. Within just a day or two, visible signs of decay—discoloration, bloating, and odor—begin to manifest.

By the fourth day, Lazarus's body would have been in an advanced stage of decomposition, making any hope of recovery seem not only improbable but impossible.

Martha's words in John 11:39 capture this reality with stark clarity: "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Her concern wasn't merely about the passage of time; it was an acknowledgment that the natural process of decay had firmly taken hold.

John's Gospel uses these details to make a powerful statement about the miracle that was about to unfold. Jesus wasn't merely reversing death's recent grip—He was recomposing what decomposition had claimed, restoring life where decay had declared its final verdict. The miracle of Lazarus was not just a resuscitation; it was a powerful demonstration of divine authority over the irreversible, revealing Christ's absolute power over even the most hopeless of situations!

Before this miracle took place, Lazurus’s sisters, Jeus’s staunchest supporters, Mary and Martha, were deep in mourning. Their initial disappointment with Jesus’s delay now turned to grief.

"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (v. 21). Martha’s words carried the weight of missed opportunity. Too late. The moment for healing had passed. Even Martha, who went on to proclaim her faith in Jesus as the Messiah, couldn’t imagine what was about to happen.

Constrained By What Seems Possible

Jesus’s response was profound: "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die" (v. 25). But when He saw Mary and the others weeping, He was deeply moved and troubled. Jesus wept (v. 35)—not just from grief, but from the pain of witnessing their limited understanding. Here He stood, the very embodiment of resurrection power, yet they could only see what their eyes told them was possible.

How often do we do the same? We understand why Mary and Martha struggled to believe—they hadn’t yet witnessed the resurrection of Christ. But we, who know the end of the story, who serve a risen Savior, still find ourselves bound by medical reports, limited by expert opinions, constrained by what seems possible.

“Even when God’s timing is not your preferred timing, trust that His way is best and He’s up to something good.”

But Jesus, standing before that sealed tomb, saw beyond “too late.” The One who created time itself wasn’t bound by its limitations. With tears still wet on His cheeks—proof that He feels our pain even when He has a greater plan—Jesus called out with a voice that shattered the finality of death itself: "Lazarus, come forth!" (v. 43).

And Lazarus, four days dead, bound in grave clothes, walked out alive.

"Loose him and let him go!" Jesus commanded (v. 44), and those grave clothes—the wrappings that signified death’s victory—had to fall away.

Like those memories the doctors said would never return, like those grave clothes that should have bound Lazarus forever, some things only appear permanent until Jesus speaks. Every time a memory breaks through, every time my mind recalls something that should have been lost forever, I hear echoes of that same authority: "Loose them and let them go!"

He’s an On-Time God

Here's something that shifts my entire perspective: When God seems to arrive “too late,” He’s not running behind schedule—He’s orchestrating a miracle that requires impossible circumstances.

Think about it. In church, swaying and clapping, we sing, "He's an on-time God, yes He is!" But what about those moments when His divine appointment comes well after our desperate deadline? When the terminal diagnosis has already been given, when the relationship has already broken down, when the situation has, by all human standards, expired?

What looks like God’s delay is actually His setup for a supernatural display.

See, if Jesus had arrived while Lazarus was still sick, we’d have another healing story. Beautiful, yes, but familiar. Instead, by waiting until decay had set in, until hope had died, until even the most faithful had given up, Jesus wasn’t coming for a healing—He was coming to turn a graveyard into a gateway for His glory.

This is the pattern of our miracle-working God: He often waits until it's impossible by human standards before He shows up. Not because He’s struggling with punctuality, but because He’s preparing to display a power that could only be divine.

When our “too late” collides with His timing, we’re not watching God catch up—we’re watching Him set the stage for something far greater than we originally asked for.

Let that sink in: What we interpret as God’s tardiness is often His strategy for demonstrating glory that our original timeline couldn’t have contained.

God’s Asking a Question

As believers, like Martha and Mary, we sometimes struggle to see beyond what seems possible. I get it. But we must remember that Jesus still stands before our sealed tombs—whether they’re medical diagnoses, financial impossibilities, or broken relationships—asking us the same question He asked Martha: "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?" (v. 40).

In God’s Kingdom, what we often see as delay is actually glory taking the scenic route to its revelation.

Friend, if you find yourself in that season of waiting, feeling like God is arriving too late, let me assure you: There’s a greater purpose unfolding through this seeming delay. You know the saying, “Good things come to those who wait”? Well, the best things come to those who wait on the Lord.

Remember what Habakkuk 2:3 KJV says: "For 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."

I know the waiting can wear you down. I know your arms are tired from holding on, and your breakthrough seems like it's taking the longest route possible. But don't let go now.

You need a financial breakthrough; wait for it. You're praying for healing in your body; wait for it. You're seeking the salvation of your loved one; wait for it. You're eagerly anticipating that moment when "all things work together for your good"; wait for it.

It will surely come. Not maybe, not might, not perhaps - surely.

Healing will surely come. Increase will surely come. Deliverance will surely come. Restoration will surely come. The answer will surely come. Hold on to your faith like it's the lifeline it is.

David encourages us beautifully in Psalm 27:14 (KJV)—which is the sweetener I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration today: "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

As you drink down the contents of your cup, remember this truth: In those moments when God feels distant, when the waiting seems endless, you’re not just waiting on an outcome—you’re waiting on the One who has never been late. He is always right on time, turning what looks like delay into a divine setup for His glory to shine through your story.

Now, let’s pray.

God, help me trust Your timing when my heart wants to rush ahead. Help me rest in Your wisdom when my mind can’t make sense of the wait. Strengthen my faith when everything in me wants to doubt, for I know that Your way isn’t just better—it’s best.

By faith, I thank You in advance for the supernatural outcome that only You could orchestrate and for setting the stage for a miracle that will leave no doubt about Your power to do all things.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!