Why Hasn't God Delivered Me?

God has a purpose for your life. Even when you struggle to find value in those days that you beg Him to change circumstances & those mundane moments that you watch the clock and sigh...
I've blamed "people pleasing" a.k.a. trying to control people's affections, for where I am in life. I've been frustrated with God when I've repented and prayed whole-heartedly for forgiveness and nothing changes. I've accused Him of not caring because I'm unable to see the end of it all, here in the middle. 
Do you remember the Israelites' reaction when God first led them just outside the Promised Land? Even after God showed His favor to them with unbelievable miracles, they heard the reports about the giants they would have to fight and their fear of the "normal" outcome of such a battle was stronger than their faith in God. They weren't willing to take the chance if God didn't show up. It didn't make sense to them. God enabled Moses to part the sea to provide an escape from the Egyptian army, to split open rocks to provide drinking water when there was none and He sent manna to feed them when there was no food. I'm sure they just thought it was to "provide" for them physically while they looked for somewhere less dangerous to live. Some may even have thought it was God's way of punishing their lack of faith. I don't believe that. I think those 40 years were meant to deliver them from their weak, captivity-mentality. They were so used to feeling helpless and unable to overcome their problems that they just "settled". Their whining and complaining became such a part of who they were that it became natural to them. It's what they did. They didn't like something? They complained about the Egyptians. They didn't get what they expected--when they expected? They whined and complained about God abandoning them.  That's all they felt they had control to do. Even though God showed them He was going to help them, through mighty miracles, they didn't trust Him. After 300+ years of leaving them in captivity in Egypt, they didn't trust God--conveniently forgetting that their captivity came after they turned their backs on Him and began worshipping idols & foreign gods. 
I don't believe that God was being cruel by leading them into the desert for 40 years. I no longer think He was punishing them. I think that He knew that in their current state of mind: whiney, complaining, blaming, self-centered, fearful and wimpy, they had become spiritually lazy. Their faith wouldn't last a nano-second against the Anakites. So, He detoured them on a long journey to toughen their faith and their determination; to rid them of their constant self-pity and negativity. God wasn't punishing them by not giving them what they wanted, He was saving them because in their present mindset, they couldn't handle what they had to do to get it: trust God and go to war against the odds. They would certainly be destroyed first. Unfortunately, so many of the Israelites weren't willing to trust God with their lives. They chose to believe that they were still victims--not of Egypt anymore--but of the things they didn't like about their present circumstances. They gave up hope. They "settled". They let their fear of what their "could be" reign over what God promised, "could be". They wanted the illusive safety of feeling like they controlled their outcome. Don't we all? We all start out thinking our determination and hard work will get us where we want but somewhere along our path in life, we realize that it hasn't and it throws us into a state of depression. Eventually, because we put our faith in what God will do for us according to what we are willing to accept and not in embracing humility that will build character and maturity-- in order to survive without faith, we settle.
If you've been in an uncomfortable place in life and you don't understand why God hasn't rescued you, it's because there is a purpose. A good purpose. Don't fight it. Don't waste precious time crying and complaining. And don't "settle" thinking that this must be all God has for you. There's a difference between settling (giving up on dreams God has placed in your heart) and faithfully embracing and peacefully doing your best where you are. Trust that it's an important step in righteous maturity and that God has something wonderful & rewarding for you in this place.
Choose to trust God and pray for wisdom, strength and understanding to be able to roll with the waves instead of fighting against them crashing over you leaving you weak & hacking up water. This is the time to rest from trying to prove anything...control anything. It's the time to just work faithfully with what God has given you and trust that He loves you and has a purpose. Someone once said that as long as we can take a breath, God has a purpose for us. And when we stop fighting for control to make it happen our own way in our own time, He'll reveal the wonder of it.