God Isn’t in a Hurry

In Psalm 40:1 I read, "I waited patiently for the LORD's help; then he listened to me and heard my cry." (GNT)

God isn’t in a hurry with my spiritual growth. I may think he’s in a hurry, but he’s not. He’s using my current circumstances to develop my character and to make me stronger. He’s patient.

Most, on the other hand, are impatient. Many of my problems are caused by my inability to wait. I had gotten into debt in the past, because I didn’t know how to delay gratification, buying things I didn't need with money we didn’t have to impress people we don’t even like.

Some people even get into relationships they shouldn’t get into because they don’t know how to delay gratification. They say, “I want sex now; I don’t want to wait” or “I want companionship now, even if it’s with the wrong person.” And their impatience leads to problems.

The good news is that, with prayer, I can recover from problems caused by my impatience. The Bible says, “I waited patiently for the LORD‘s help; then he listened to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1 GNT).

Remember: God is never in a hurry. There isn’t an example of Jesus running anywhere in the Bible? In fact, it took him three days to go a mile and a half to get to his friend, Lazarus, who was very sick. And by the time Jesus got to him, it was too late, Lazarus had already died.

But Jesus had a bigger plan in mind. He didn’t want to heal Lazarus, he wanted to raise him from the dead. He wanted to do a miracle. And that’s exactly what happened. Jesus walked up to Lazarus’ tomb, told them to roll the stone away, and said, “Lazarus, come forth.” And Lazarus did!

Sometimes a situation can get so bad that it makes me want to take matters into my own hands.­ But don’t take shortcuts. Instead, trust in God’s perfect timing and expect a miracle! The Bible says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12 NIV).

God already knows what he’s going to do in my life next month, next year, and in the next decade. His timing is perfect, and his plan for my life is good and worth waiting for.

In summary, I should wait patiently for the Lord’s help. He will listen and hear my cry. What I”m learning is that God isn’t in a hurry with my spiritual growth. He uses my current circumstances to develop my character and to make me stronger. He’s patient, but we (including myself) are impatient. Many of our/my problems are caused by the inability to wait. Impatience leads to problems. With prayer, I can recover from problems caused by my impatience. Remember: God is never in a hurry. In fact, there isn’t an example of Jesus running anywhere. Sometimes a situation can get so bad that it makes me want to take matters into my own hands.­ But I should avoid taking these shortcuts. Instead, trust in God’s perfect timing and expect a miracle! God already knows what he’s going to do in my life. His timing is perfect, and his plans for my life is good and worth waiting for.

Doing God's will sometimes means waiting patiently, and waiting for God to help isn’t easy. Often blessings cannot be received unless we go through the trial of waiting. While I wait, I can still love God, serve others, and tell others about him. 

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, and doing well and making a difference in my new job.  I pray all these things through you Son Jesus’ name, Amen.