I don’t know if you are like me, but I want the “good” things in my life to come quickly and on my time schedule. I always think that I am ready and prepared–right now–to handle every “good” thing that could possibly happen in my life! For example, our adoption, we have been going through the process for 16 months now and in my mind my wife and I were ready then for our new child.

What “good” thing in your life are you ready right now for? A new job? A raise? A great marriage? Kids that listen and are respectful? A stronger spiritual life? A spouse if your single? Better health? Whatever it is for you and me, it can be so difficult for us to not get it on our time schedule. As we all know, God’s timing frequently doesn’t match ours. This can be a stumbling block for our faith–unless we read what God’s Word has to say about this.

See, God has a plan for our life and even when we can’t see it or understand it, it is better than our plans. How do I know? Because He is God and I am not!

God will give us what we can handle in His time. Moses tells the Israelites as they are waiting to enter the Promised Land, “The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.” (Deuteronomy 7:22, emphasis mine)

The people were getting really tired of waiting for this Promised Land and they thought that the time was now for them to enter. They of course thought that they were ready to occupy the land. But, God knew that they weren’t. Their hearts weren’t ready and they would be their own ruin if they were given access to the land at this point.

We must take advantage of the time that God gives us and prepare ourselves for His work. A few chapters later Moses says, “The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.” (Deuteronomy 13:3-4)

Take some time this week to let God search your heart and see where you need to surrender your will to His. Then take the time to be developed and transformed by Him!

More to come…
Jeremy