“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” — Psalm 27:13-14
While studying the book of Joshua this last month, something caught my attention. When the Israelites conquered Jericho, God told them to destroy everything and keep no plunder. But Achan disobeyed the command. Joshua (Chapter 7) says he kept some of the plunder (which included a bar of gold). We don’t know how heavy the bar was, but if it was similar to modern bars, we’re talking about a million dollars of gold. In due time, God judged Achan and his family (and all of Israel) for that disobedience.
What caught my attention, however, was in the very next chapter (8). God told the Israelites they could keep the plunder when they attempted to conquer Ai a second time. What? First, God tells them not to keep it. Then, He tells them they can keep the plunder with the next battle. If only Achan had waited!
Trusting His Timing
Sometimes, we think God is holding out on us. In fact, that was one of the first lies told in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:4-5). Since then, FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) has been a very powerful force in our lives. We often think we’ll miss out if we don’t act right now (relationally, financially, vocationally, or with family). In essence, it feels like every voice we hear is telling us to take what we want — now.
Even so, God often wants to grow our faith and character through our waiting. Along with that, Satan’s voice can indeed be the lie that God is holding out on you. So, Christian, where is God calling you to wait for His timing? Without question, He has good for you. At the same time, however, He wants you to wait for it. Faith can boil down to simply trusting God’s timing in the things we want right now.
Posted in A Word from the Pastor