God's Timing

I hate waiting. Especially if it is something that I am looking forward to or really wanting. And because God knows me intimately, has a sense of humor and knows what I need to learn, he had our family move to VA...

Alright, maybe it isn't the only reason, but those who live in the DC area know just what I am speaking of. I remember when my husband was living here before the kids and I moved out and he kept telling me how bad traffic was. I honestly thought he was just complaining...until we moved here. Although we live less than 30 miles from Washington, D.C., it can literally take us hours to get there or back depending on the time of day. When there is an accident or it is a holiday weekend, you better hope that you have plenty of gas and snacks packed. It is often more like a parking lot than an interstate. It is no wonder that road rage exists. Then get all of those people who have just done battle on the roads into the grocery store for those last minute items...eye contact, smiles, and common courtesy are scarce. This is a place where if you let someone go in front of you in the grocery line it really makes an impact. Try it sometime if you haven't before - you will see what I am talking about.

We had a fabulous speaker at our MOPS group today-Jimmy Parker. A phrase that he said in the midst of his talk stuck with me all day. It is, "God's delays are not His denials." It spoke to me on several levels in the moment and I pondered the truth of the statement throughout the day with regard to different areas of my life. I've always heard that when we pray God answers, "Yes", "No" or "Wait." "Wait" often feels like a "no" though doesn't it? I know when I tell my children to "wait" for something, they often tear up like what they were hoping for just slipped out of their grasp. And as a child of God, when I don't hear that clear "yes" or "no," I can get discouraged.

Abraham received an amazing promise from God that his descendants would be as numerous as the sand. (Genesis 12) But at that point he didn't even have a biological child of his own. Yet he stepped out in faith believing God. But then, when he did not see God fulfilling the promise, he took matters into his own hands and slept with a handmaiden to produce an heir. What a mess that turned out to be - even today we are experiencing the effects of Abraham's decision not to continue to wait upon the Lord. Yet even with Abraham's mistakes, God still fulfilled the purpose for which he had created Abraham. He is the "father of many nations that the world would be blessed through." (Genesis 17:4-5)

You and I may have felt God's call upon our lives for something specific. Maybe the "Yes!" has blended into a "wait." Maybe we have already taken matters into our own hands and tried to "make something of ourselves" thinking that either we had misheard God or that God had forgotten His promises to us. I was reminded today to wait for God to do His work through me. There are moments where I just want to be living and doing what I believe He has called me to do and to be. Then other times I doubt that I have heard Him correctly or that I will have to strive to be able to do it. If you have been reading my blog for any time now you know God has clearly been speaking, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) to my heart lately. So I will be still and allow Him to speak to me and to lead me along this path of His purpose. Thankfully, although it may take a couple of hours to get where we want to go in the road of life when it seems like it should take minutes, eventually if we stay the course, we will accomplish the purpose for which we have journeyed.

God's Delays are not His Denials...take some time to reflect on what that might mean in your life right now.

Many Blessings!