Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- August 30, 2010
“So she said to Abram, ‘The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said.” Genesis 16:2
Do not rush God. He can be trusted. What He says, He will do. He will accomplish His will, His way—in His time. This is difficult because we can’t wait to experience God’s promise. But the anticipation is supposed to part of the process. The joy of looking forward to God’s blessing is rivaled by few emotions and experiences. He has allowed us to see His future vision for our edification, not our consternation. Trust—don’t rush Him.
Because of a crisis and overwhelming needs, we are tempted to help God make things happen. But is this His timing? Be patient. God is not rushed. How audacious of us to think we can accelerate the Almighty’s timeline. It is His grace pace that is best for believers. It is not about striving to impose an issue, or creating circumstances that forces His will. “Woe to him who strives with his Maker!” (Isaiah 45:9a, NKJV).
He has a plan. You can be content as His plan unfolds, or you can remain frustrated trying to facilitate twisted means to reach good goals. Do not allow the compelling issue to manipulate you into doing anything and everything to meet the necessary need. It may be a crisis of belief, but it is not a crisis that demands frantic reactions. You may feel rushed, but Jesus is patient. Take a step back and breathe in God’s fresh air of faith.
God’s timing and God’s methods may seem unnatural to you, even impossible. But it is all for a purpose. His purposes prevail. You may be tempted to laugh at the Lord’s methods, but He is counter-intuitive. The level of faith required for this phase of your journey seems unrealistic. Yes, at times there is a fine line between foolishness and faith.
But what the world sees as foolish, God sees as wise. And what the world looks on as wise, God sees as foolish. So, it may seem foolish to give more time and money to the Kingdom of God, but He is pleased with your step of faith. Indeed, your return on investment of peace, joy and contentment will far outweigh your meager sacrifice.
How is your family? It is a big deal to trust your children or siblings with God. It shouldn’t be, but it is. Leave them in their Creator’s hands. They may need to suffer the current consequences of their choices to recognize and understand their need for God. Be there for them, but do not rush what Christ is up to in their faith development.
Yes, you can rush ahead of the Lord and get short-term results, which ultimately lead to long-term distractions and disappointments. Or, you can wait on God’s plan to unfold and experience unprecedented peace, fulfillment and significance. Then you know He did it and you were part of His bigger plan. None of us likes to be rushed, especially God!
Related Readings: Psalm 37:7; Proverbs 6:18; Jeremiah 5:4; 1 Corinthians 1:18-27
Boyd Bailey is the author of Wisdom Hunters daily devotional and two devotional books, Infusion and Seeking Daily the Heart of God
