This is the question that came to my mind this afternoon as I was reflecting on the news of the release of an American pastor, Andrew Brunson, who was being held in prison and later under house arrest by the Turkish Authorities for the last two years. I should highlight on the onset that I have never met Bruson neither do I know him personally. The only connection I have with him is our common faith in Christ. But I got more interested in his case begin from the day he was arrested.

On that day I was undergoing licensure examinations on the floor of the Northeast Presbytery of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Maryland. Soon after the examinations one of the pastors at the Presbytery meeting whose church had previously supported Bruson as a missionary shared with the meeting about his arrest and asked us to pray for him.

We prayed. I also continued to pray for him as often as I remembered.  So, this afternoon when I received an update from ARP magazine that Bruson has finally been acquitted by the Turkish court, a great joy of thankfulness filled my heart. I praised the Lord for answering prayers of thousands or even millions who were praying for the pastor. But it wasn’t long before my joy was consumed by this question: Why did it take this long before the Lord answered the prayers of his people. Why did the Lord wait for two years to answer the prayers of Bruson himself, his family, relatives, and others saints including the ARP Northeast Presbytery?

I don’t have the answer to this question? I don’t even know if anyone has the answer. But as I continued to ponder, Romans 8:28 came to mind: “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.” It also dawned on me that I am not the first one to wonder. David as he was passing through trials and prayed also wondered “How long O Lord will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Psalm 13:1). David had prayed for a “long time” but the Lord seemed not to respond with the needed promptness.

I think the hymn writer was right:

By and by, when the morning comes,

When the saints of God are gathered home,

We’ll tell the story how we’ve overcome

For we’ll understand it better by and by.

Praise the Lord for the release of Brunson. Praise the Lord for many prayers that the saints throughout the world sent before the throne of grace. Praise be to God for answering our prayers. To Him alone be the glory, forever!