A true follower of Jesus never becomes accustomed to the sound of footsteps headed for hell.”
Ding! A text. They are waiting. Ring, ring, ring! Phone call, they are not waiting anymore. Must answer. Swoosh. Email sent. Why go to a Post office. Thumb/finger push. Scroll to the next post or pic. Speaking of pics, when was the last time you had 35mm film developed? Probably years. Choosing a gift? Are you in a physical store or online? Click. That took care of the daughter’s gift.
There was once a saying, “I feel the need for speed.” Well, it is available to all of us now. We can do a whole lot faster than we can manage sometimes. Rush is not just a post-paid service; it is a state of being. Especially as we approach Christmas.
I read the 105th Psalm this morning. There were several instances in the Hebrews’ journey through the wilderness when God immediately answered their prayers (some were just complaints!). Yet, the journey was still forty years – which whether literal or figurative, the Hebrew meant a l-o-n-g time. And then, because they did not “get it” about trusting God, they had to take a second lap through the wilderness!
God seemed to take His sweet time in preparing for sending His Son to save us. Just look at Jesus’ genealogy at the first of Matthew. All those people’s names, and all their lives that had to be lived out in history. Behind their names are stories. Not just years, generations, centuries! At least 570 years before Jesus’ birth Isaiah prophesied, “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
What are you longing for from God? Do you feel that it is taking too long? This season of Advent is a way of remembering that the waiting is not just about God putting together the answer, it is about what happens in us in the waiting. We come to the end of ourselves and we learn a little more about first seeking Him, then trusting Him.
Whether it is a personal need or some need, desire, or hope of an entire congregation, we not only need to seek God’s answer, but His timing. It’s part of His work in us to become the people He means for us to be. To use a cooking analogy, some things must marinate.
He has come and at times the Spirit moves in special ways at times, all so we can Love Jesus more deeply,Follow Jesus more closely, and Serve Jesus more effectively.
In Christ,
Pastor Brian
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