God Is Never in a Hurry
By Rick Warren
“Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed”(James 1:4 The Message).
Be patient with God and with yourself. One of life’s frustrations is that God’s timetable is rarely the same as ours. We are often in a hurry when God isn’t. You may feel frustrated with the seemingly slow progress you’re making in life.
Remember that God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time. He will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity.
The Bible is filled with examples of how God uses a long process to develop character, especially in leaders. He took 80 years to prepare Moses, including 40 in the wilderness. For 14,600 days Moses kept waiting and wondering, “Is it time yet?” But God kept saying, “Not yet.”
Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering. Be patient with the process. James advised, “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed” (James 1:4 The Message).
Don’t get discouraged. When Habakkuk became depressed because he didn’t think God was acting quickly enough, God had this to say: “These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Habakkuk 2:3 TLB).
Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. Years ago people wore a popular button with the letters PBPGINFWMY. It stood for “Please be patient. God is not finished with me yet.” God isn’t finished with you, either, so keep on moving forward. Even the snail reached the ark by persevering!
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Life's Healing Choices: The Beatitudes Complete Audio Series
Rest and recover from life’s battles
The truth is, going through life we all get at a little bruised and battered. And that means everyone needs recovery from something.
Maybe you need help dealing with pain from a current relationship, or hurts from your past. Maybe you need to heal spiritually, or renew your emotional health.
Regardless of the problems you face, Pastor Rick Warren wants to help you heal by sending you his Life’s Healing Choices Complete Audio Series.
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• The Reality Choice
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Please give your best gift below to help more people learn, love, and live the Word with Daily Hope — and we’ll say thanks by sending you the Life’s Healing Choices Complete Audio Series available as an 8 CD boxed set or high-quality MP3 download.
May God work through these messages to help you rest and recover from life’s battles with the eternal hope of his Word.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
