You May Be in a Hurry, but God Is Not
By Rick Warren
“God ... does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NCV).
If you want to slow down your life, you’ve got to learn to trust God’s timing.
Do you know what impatience is? It’s a lack of trust. When you’re impatient, you’re saying, “God, I don’t really trust you. I don’t think you have my best interest at heart. You don’t know when I need it and I’m in a hurry.” You get worried and you get hurried and you start scurrying because you don’t trust God to do it at the right time and in the right way. You struggle and strive.
Is fast always better? Not always.
The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “God ... does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what he is doing” (NCV).
God has a plan for your life. You probably know that. But he also has a timetable for your life. Here’s the rub: God never explains his timetable. Doesn’t that just tick you off sometimes?
One of the most painful things in life is when you’re in a hurry and God’s not. When children grow up, part of maturing is having to learn the difference between “no” and “not yet.” A delay is not a denial. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have to learn the same thing with God: A delay is not a denial. God knows the right time and the right way. He has a plan and a timetable. And his timing is perfect.
When Saddleback Church grew for 15 years without a building, this is the verse that God used to encourage me for all those years: “This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed” (Habakkuk 2:3 NLT, second edition).
That vision that God has given you that hasn’t happened yet, it’s coming. It’s coming on God’s timetable. In the meantime, trust God and slow down.
Playtoday’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- What is the vision God has given you that you have been waiting on him to fulfill?
- What do you think God wants you to do while you wait on him and his timing?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Unshakeable! Study Kit
You Can Thrive In Every Circumstance
Do you want to thrive in every circumstance? In the Bible, Daniel and his friends rose to top positions of leadership because they were unshakeable in their faith even though they were surrounded by a corrupt culture. Today, the world’s value system increasingly drifts further from God. To thrive, no matter what, you need to dive into scripture and learn how to be unshakeable in your faith.
In the 9-part DVD study kit, Unshakable: Thriving No Matter What Hits You, Pastor Rick helps you walk through scripture and learn how to …
• Stand strong when your world is shaken
• Stay firm when your pressured to conform
• Be bold when your beliefs are belittled
• Be confident when you’re asked to do the impossible
• Stay cool when the heat is on
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This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.