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Many try to take shortcuts when it comes to serving God. In our own abilities we try to push things and make them happen. Which is really the opposite of what it means to trust God. He is in control of everything, things will work out in God’s time. We cannot rush to the answer.

It is like God is a juggler of all living things. God is the ruler of the universe; everything is about timing. He knows when to let the rain fall. He knows when to give us what we ask Him for and when to withhold it. Allowing something to happen too soon could cause everything to be out of balance.

Sometimes, we ask for things that we are not ready to receive. We are not mature enough in God to walk into what we know He has for us. But it is all about timing. If He answers too soon, what we want could destroy us.  If the answer is too late, we may have given up and not even care.

We have been praying for God to bring down the evil around us and set up the righteous.  Some of us are getting battle weary and tired of waiting for the turn around. But do not be weary. God knows what we need and will bring it to pass in his timing.

Be careful of shortcuts to what you desire. Satan often offers a short cut but it is a trap. The only way to run this race is to endure until the end. For example, I desire for my blog to grow. Many marketing people have contacted me about helping me to grow it.  But I know that it is a waste of time to engage their help. Because this is not just a blog about any subject, it is about faith. If it were a travel site or something the shortcut would be a blessing.

Before I started it, I told God. It was His, I was doing it for Him and to encourage his people. It was in His hands to grow and to take it where it needed to go. The responsibility is not mine. So back to my original point. If He would allow it to grow too fast, I would not be able to handle the pressure. He knows the timing of when I can handle more, as He grows me and makes me more mature in Him, he can trust me with more.

If satan cannot stop us he will try distraction. If distraction doesn’t work, then he tries offering us what we desire. If God won’t answer our prayers then maybe we can make them happen. Trying to force the outcome in our flesh or by taking a short cut will always bring failure.

God doesn’t always say no, but often says wait. Because He knows best about the timing of all things. As children of God, we need to understand that he is True, Just, Right and Real. He is in control of the universe. All things are in His timing.

Eccl.3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

True peace in God comes from embracing the season we are in and not worrying about the other seasons. God will move us to the new season when the time is right. Until then we need to praise him in the season we are in and keep our faith. There are no short cuts to where we want to go, we have to stick to the narrow path and trust God’s leading.

We cannot allow ourselves the luxury to think we can control the outcome of things. That is being arrogant which is the opposite of being humble. God is looking for us to get out of our fleshly desire to control things and to simply trust in Him.

Is 40:29-31  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

If we learn to praise Him in the waiting season, He will renew our strength. If we wait when He says wait, He will raise us up and give us what we need to keep going straight without any shortcuts.

The best biblical example I can find is in Matthew Chapter 4:

1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

The Spirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted. This is where Satan offered Jesus a shortcut to what God has planned. He started with something small. Would it have been a big deal if Jesus had turned the stones to bread? Probably not, but it would have opened the door to satan to get a stronghold.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. When that didn’t work then he tried to tempt him into jumping off the top of the temple. He then tried to make Jesus justify who he was in God. “If you are the son of God.” Jesus had just fasted and prayed for forty days and nights.  He would have been spiritually strong. Often people will try to do the same thing to us. In judgmental ways, “If you are really a Christian…”

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.  10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Satan then offered Jesus a shortcut to God’s plan for Jesus to rule over the kingdoms of the world. This shortcut would bypass the pain of the cross. Satan thought he could offer Jesus power and he would not see that the shortcut would keep us bound for hell.

This time Jesus told him to leave him alone and quit talking, he wasn’t buying his lies. Jesus understood there are no shortcuts to the end result. God’s plan has to be walked out with patience and love.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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