What's Your Hurry
Your emergency situation is often God’s testing time.
The purposes of God often develop slowly because His grand designs are never hurried. The great New England preacher Phillips Brooks was noted for his poise and quiet manner. At times, however, even he suffered from moments of frustration and irritability. One day a friend saw him feverishly pacing the floor like a caged lion. “What's the trouble, Mr. Brooks?” he asked.
“The trouble is that I'm in a hurry, but God isn't!” Haven't we felt the same way many times?
Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of God's Word, and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey, for example, labored seven years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ in Burma, and Adoniram Judson toiled seven years before his faithful preaching was rewarded. In western Africa, it was fourteen years before one convert was received into the Christian church. In New Zealand, it took nine years; and in Tahiti, it was sixteen years before the first harvest of souls began.
Thomas a Kempis described that kind of patience in these words: “He deserves not the name of patient who is only willing to suffer as much as he thinks proper, and for whom he pleases. The truly patient man asks (nothing) from whom he suffers, (whether) his superior, his equal, or his inferior...But from whomever, or how much, or how often wrong is done to him, he accepts it all as from the hand of God, and counts it gain!”
How many times have you hurriedly sought God in prayer, earnestly begging for an immediate answer but found none? Did you give up? Did you suppose God wouldn’t hear? Many times Christians can seek God’s help in an emergency situation, then become discouraged when He doesn’t answer them exactly when they want it.
God doesn’t operate on our timetable. As Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” God has His own plan for our lives!
Did you ever realize that an emergency to us is simply part of the plan to God? When something happens suddenly in our lives, we can be sure that God knew it would be there all along! He has His hand on it and He will take care of it in His time!
What emergency situation do you have in your life? Does God seem to be testing your patience? Remember when the waiting times come, God has everything right where He wants it. You can rest assured of His hand over it all! Rather than becoming impatient or discouraged, ask God to grow you through this waiting period. Allow His Spirit to give you patience during this time.
Source: Daily in the Word, October 26, 2008