03/20/2023
By Pastor Vinnie Cappetta
"Instant Answers"
We live in an age of instant answers; we want the Lord to reveal His plan for us immediately in response to our prayers. The Psalmist suggests just the opposite. The Psalmist speaks of waiting on God: “I waited patiently for the Lord.” The Psalmist, like many of us, was probably not very good at waiting. The psalms last words indicate a desire for immediate relief: ”Oh, my God, do not delay.” (Psalm 40:17).
God‘s purpose for our lives unfolds gradually as a tree grows in fullness; it cannot be forced to grow overnight. Jesus himself pointed out that the beauty of the lilies does not result from their own efforts, for they neither toil nor spin. Their growth comes about by their yielding to the friendship of the sun and the rain in purposeful waiting.
Costa Stathakis, “God’s Purpose for Our Lives,” The Upper Room Disciplines 1999.
That really resonates with me because it was 23 years ago when God first started speaking to me about becoming a counselor. I wanted to know His plans for me right then and there, but that’s not how He worked. He had some deep work that He needed to do inside of me first. He started a good work inside me and He kept working on it over the course of 20 years until it was the fullness of time for me to fully lean into my counseling gifts.
- Are you seeking instant answers from God today?
- Are you willing to wait 20 minutes, 2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years, 20 years for all the answers to your questions?
- What lessons might God be trying to teach you and work into your character during this time of waiting?
