23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

First of all, we are again reminded that Moses’ exile (and leadership training) lasted a “long” time (23). Someone observed about God: ‘He is not slow; He is not in a hurry; He is always on time.’

But we can also sense that Israel’s praying for deliverance was not a one-off thing, but it was protracted praying that went the distance. Some prayers are answered quickly, while others (and it may be some of our most gut-wrenching ones) take time. Praying people need to remember the big picture and be able to take the long view. But where our prayers and God’s promises are in unison, something is going to happen, even though the answer may be a long time coming (3:7).

PRAYER: Lord God, as I pray please grant me steadfast faith in your Word, and unfailing patience that stays the course.