O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture?...We see no miraculous signs as evidence that you will save us... Why do you hold back your strong right hand? Psalm 74:1+
Okay, so where is that stinking box I sent you through the mail? Is it stuck in a corner of a USPS airplane somewhere or is someone with light fingers making gallo pinto and eating your MacIntosh apples? Who knows, maybe it's one of those packages that gets stuck in a sorting machine and shows up 37 years later. (Although the smell of the apples would give it away way before then, I'm sure!)
We're not very good at waiting these days. How our American culture views time and how much that view has changed in the last generation is significant. We're not very good at waiting for much of anything--including the mail.
But, the truth is that we simply can't maintain balanced lives if we expect everything instantly!
Our impatience easily spills over into our spiritual lives. When problems aren’t resolved, we get angry at God. When we don’t see growth in our lives as quickly as we'd like, we get depressed. When we think that God isn't able to change lives and fix problems instantly--when we don’t see miracles happening--we wonder why God doesn’t act on our behalf.
The simple truth is that following Christ takes time. Growing in maturity takes time. Character building takes time. Resolving most problems takes time. Building strong families and relationships takes time.
God, help Sarah take a longer view of time today. Remind her that you're still our all-powerful king, and you're at work in her life. You have your own timing. (And hers may well be different!) Help her to trust that your timing is perfect when it comes to her life. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment