Words from the Rock
I have much more to say to you, but right now it would be more than you could understand. The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn’t speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen.
John 16:12–13 CEV
It’s easy to get in a hurry, to feel rushed—like you’re racing the clock. With “help” from instant messaging, high-speed internet service, fast-food chains . . . it almost seems like the world is spinning faster and faster. As a result, we can get into the habit of expecting things to move quickly, and we become irritated when something takes longer than we think it should. We want what we want, and we want it now!
But there can be good reasons to wait. For instance, if you’re baking a cake, it won’t do any good to rush the cooking time. Taking it out of the oven too soon will ruin it.
Spiritual things can be like that too. Jesus has a lot to tell you, to teach you, and to show you, but he knows you can handle only so much at once. To dump everything on you would totally overwhelm you. That’s why Jesus wants his Spirit to dwell in you. The Spirit knows when it’s time to show you certain things. He knows when it’s the opportune moment to push you in a particular direction, and when it’s just the right instant to warn you to avoid something.
Hopefully you’re tuned in and your spiritual watch isn’t running too fast or too slow. With God’s Spirit, timing is everything. To rush the Spirit isn’t just futile, it’s foolish—not to mention impossible since you can’t hurry God. Waiting on God diligently and patiently will accomplish far more than trying to speed things up. Trust God enough to slow down and listen.
My Prayer
Dear God,
I know I can be impatient and want to hurry things up. Show me how to align my spiritual clock with yours. Teach me to tune in to your Spirit.
Amen.
Final Word
He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
1 Corinthians 1:8 NLT
Stone for the Journey
God’s timing is perfect.