Weekday Devotionals
Exodus 32:1 – When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “Make us some gods who can lead us.”
Humans have displayed impatience since the creation of the universe. Could Adam and Eve really not wait to consult God prior to committing the original sin? Rather than wait and trust His plan, they diverted. As God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, they complained constantly, asked for more, and desired other ‘gods’. As you can see from the verse above, the Israelites quickly lost their patience while God gave Moses instructions on Mount Sinai. An angry God told Moses, “They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them.”
Sometimes I read these stories and think, how could you eat the apple? How could they complain after God parted the Red Sea, made bread and quail fall from the sky, made fresh water appear from dust? Then I catch myself complaining about slow wi-fi, a meal that doesn’t taste as good as I expect, or rising prices seemingly everywhere. I would have been complaining in the desert, too…
Our human tendencies cause us to be selfish and impatient; Following Jesus challenges us to be the opposite. This past Sunday, Pastor Pete highlighted the importance of not only seeking God’s will for your life but trusting His timing for that plan. The sermon’s first fill-in note said, slow and steady builds my faith.
God gave us many examples throughout the Bible, highlighting the need for patience to fulfill His plan. It took Noah decades to build the ark. The Israelites wandered the desert for forty years. David ran for his life, from Saul, for years. Sarah was ninety years old when God blessed her with a child. Joseph was sold into slavery and imprisoned for years. The stories could go on and on. Slow and steady builds my faith.
No Longer Fatherless has nearly sixty mentors matched with sixty young men in Volusia & Flagler County. We have three employees. We host 15+ events per year. We host multiple fundraisers per year. If that were the case in 2017, I would have failed miserably. We started the organization, in faith that it was His plan, knowing very little about leading a non-profit. Our slow and steady journey allowed God to equip me to be the leader of NLF. I believe my faithfulness has continued to earn God’s trust as he blesses us with more responsibility each year. I must continue to seek Him to ensure we are following His timeline. We must remain patient.
Pastor Pete warned us in his message that impatience leads to idolatry. I did not understand what he meant at first. He explained, “Impatience is us forcing our will on Him. It’s us enforcing our timetable, our plan, rather than wait and trust for His provision, we forge ahead.”
His final sermon take away was – The greatest temptation is the right thing, at the wrong time.
It feels unnatural for us to wait or be still. The world tells us to take what we want, as much as we want, as fast as possible. God wants us to be patient, seek Him, His will, in His timing. Are you in the right career? Do you live where God wants you to? Should you date that person? Is it time to have a child?
As you seek God’s will for your life, remember (as hard as it may be) to be patient. It may take hours, it may take days, or it may take years to find the answers you seek. When you find them, it will be EXACTLY when He wants you to.
Skip Simmons
Humans have displayed impatience since the creation of the universe. Could Adam and Eve really not wait to consult God prior to committing the original sin? Rather than wait and trust His plan, they diverted. As God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, they complained constantly, asked for more, and desired other ‘gods’. As you can see from the verse above, the Israelites quickly lost their patience while God gave Moses instructions on Mount Sinai. An angry God told Moses, “They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them.”
Sometimes I read these stories and think, how could you eat the apple? How could they complain after God parted the Red Sea, made bread and quail fall from the sky, made fresh water appear from dust? Then I catch myself complaining about slow wi-fi, a meal that doesn’t taste as good as I expect, or rising prices seemingly everywhere. I would have been complaining in the desert, too…
Our human tendencies cause us to be selfish and impatient; Following Jesus challenges us to be the opposite. This past Sunday, Pastor Pete highlighted the importance of not only seeking God’s will for your life but trusting His timing for that plan. The sermon’s first fill-in note said, slow and steady builds my faith.
God gave us many examples throughout the Bible, highlighting the need for patience to fulfill His plan. It took Noah decades to build the ark. The Israelites wandered the desert for forty years. David ran for his life, from Saul, for years. Sarah was ninety years old when God blessed her with a child. Joseph was sold into slavery and imprisoned for years. The stories could go on and on. Slow and steady builds my faith.
No Longer Fatherless has nearly sixty mentors matched with sixty young men in Volusia & Flagler County. We have three employees. We host 15+ events per year. We host multiple fundraisers per year. If that were the case in 2017, I would have failed miserably. We started the organization, in faith that it was His plan, knowing very little about leading a non-profit. Our slow and steady journey allowed God to equip me to be the leader of NLF. I believe my faithfulness has continued to earn God’s trust as he blesses us with more responsibility each year. I must continue to seek Him to ensure we are following His timeline. We must remain patient.
Pastor Pete warned us in his message that impatience leads to idolatry. I did not understand what he meant at first. He explained, “Impatience is us forcing our will on Him. It’s us enforcing our timetable, our plan, rather than wait and trust for His provision, we forge ahead.”
His final sermon take away was – The greatest temptation is the right thing, at the wrong time.
It feels unnatural for us to wait or be still. The world tells us to take what we want, as much as we want, as fast as possible. God wants us to be patient, seek Him, His will, in His timing. Are you in the right career? Do you live where God wants you to? Should you date that person? Is it time to have a child?
As you seek God’s will for your life, remember (as hard as it may be) to be patient. It may take hours, it may take days, or it may take years to find the answers you seek. When you find them, it will be EXACTLY when He wants you to.
Skip Simmons
Recent
Archive
2024
March
2023
March
August
November
2022
March
Categories
no categories