SLOW DOWN therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will NOT BE IN HASTE.’ Isaiah 28:16. One of those things God is repeatedly impressing on me is the need to wait on Him and not take things into my own hands. : ) Impatience is a hindrance in our walk with God. Turning to the Scriptures there are more than a few examples of Joe likeness : ) (1) Abraham On many things he had come to rest in the Lord. But there was one thing, just one thing, and it nagged at his heart. What wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless... and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir (Gen. 15:2,3) - it was this longing, this desire of Abrahams for a son. And we know the story. Abraham could not wait for God. Stirred up by Sarah, he moved. Time was passing. Soon it would be too late; he must do something. And he did. He could not wait for the Lord; he was moved out of his place of rest; his patience was at an end. So Ishmael was born. There are many who know the tragic story of Islam - the nation born of Abrahams impatience. He could not wait for the Lord - even Abraham! And notice, Abrahams impatience had to do with something that God had promised. Oh, the trouble that Abraham caused the Lord by his failure to wait patiently - and what trouble we cause the Lord! even in relation to His things, by not being prepared to wait. And the issue at stake was nothing less than the grand purpose of God, for Abraham was the one whom God called out in order to initiate His eternal purpose amongst men; the Seed, which is Christ, was in view: and Abraham could not wait. The fruit of his impatience was Ishmael; and if you want to know how much trouble such impatience caused the Lord, read the Galatian letter. (2) Jacob Jacob could not wait for the Lord. The Lord had given him promises, had set His heart upon the fulfilment of the covenant made to Abraham; but Jacob could not wait. From the moment when he flees for his life, there begins the sad history, through all the vicissitudes of his stay in Padanaram, years and years of feverish, fretful, impatient activity, he could not wait for the Lord. When he comes back to Jabbok, he has to confess: I have not obtained the birthright-blessing; I have achieved nothing. And if he were to speak the truth, he would say: I have delayed the Lord; I have held Him up. He has been waiting. The Lord was waiting for him at Jabbok - still waiting! (Gen. 32). (3) Moses Moses could not wait for the Lord. When they came the second time to the place of need for water, Moses went out with Aaron at the bidding of God, and his impetuosity, his impatience, carried him away - impatience with the Lords people. Crying out: Ye rebels, shall we bring you forth water out of this rock?... he struck the rock a second time! (Num. 20:2-12). Only the act of a moment, but it shut him out of the land! Impatience may be momentary, but it is an awful thing. (4) Aaron Aaron was amongst those who could not wait (Ex. 32:1-6). Moses had gone up into the mount to receive the tables of the Law. At the foot, there remained the people of God, and Aaron. The people became impatient: What has become of Moses we know not; we have been waiting now... They had not waited long! Aaron is caught in this; Aaron could not wait. And so, in a very weak kind of way, he gives in to the people, and the product is the golden calf. You notice that God does not excuse Aaron, and in reading it again, I see how unwilling he seemed to be to go with the people; he did not want to do it; yet he made the golden calf. I believe that in the back of his mind was this thought: Well, after all, there is the thought of sacrifice, and if I make it into something that the people can see, I am not doing any harm! I will come down to their level, and I will draw them up again! For you notice, he says, when he had made the golden calf; Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord! But the fact remains that Aaron could not wait for what was happening in the mount, and his impatience shut Aaron out of the land. (5) Saul Saul is the classic example of impatience in the Old Testament: the man that could not wait for God. His final setting aside was, of course, when he spared Agag - his incomplete obedience. But if you will read the history of Saul, you find that it went back earlier than that: he was rejected from being king, because he could not wait for God (1 Sam. 13:8-14). Samuel had evidently instructed Saul to wait until he came to offer the offerings. And you can picture the scene. The days are passing; the seventh day has come; the evening of the seventh day, and Samuel has not come. Saul must do something! he begins to fret, to be anxious: and he offers the offering; he cannot wait. It cost him his kingdom! (6) The Children of Israel They could not wait for the Lord. Now that is specifically said in the Psalms - let me read it to you. The Psalmist sums up their history like this: The waters covered their adversaries; there was not one of them left - that refers to the Red Sea, surely; He had done wonderful things for them - Then believed they his words; they sang his praise. They soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel (Ps. 106:11-13) - they could not wait. And again and again, in the wilderness, in the history of this people, you find them an impatient people, not prepared to wait for the Lord. And it cost them their inheritance. How important is this matter of waiting for God! Impatience cost the children of Israel their inheritance; they lost their place in the purpose of God. Lord, please help us to learn (me especially) that waiting on You is a good thing as youve told us to wait on You and written the promises and blessings that come from waiting. Help me (us) Lord. : ) Blessings!
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 17:50:50 +0000
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