Friday, January 17

Have you ever felt left behind? A few years ago my wife and I decided to take our kids on a road trip. Our good friends and their kids accompanied us. We rented a large van and off we went. One of our stops was at an amusement park. As you can imagine all of the kids were exited, especially my youngest son Giordan. For the first time in his short life he was going to ride the “big kids rides” with his friends and brother. They got in line for their first roller coaster as we, the parents, watched them while munching on amusement park food. A few minutes into the wait my son comes back frustrated because he was told that he was not big enough to get on the ride. This was pretty much what the rest of the day looked like, the bigger kids getting on and Giordan getting left behind. He was just going to have to learn to wait.

Are you going through a waiting time in your faith-walk with God? Maybe you’ve witnessed God working in and through others. You see them being blessed, but when it comes to your life God seems distant. Even though it’s not evident, while you wait God is working in your life. Though you feel that there’s not much spiritual growth going on, believe me that’s when God is doing His very best. Usually in the waiting time God is stripping away that which is the greatest impediment to our spiritual growth, our selfish desires, desiring what we want more than God himself.

Speaking of His “very best”, you never want to get ahead of God’s will. Let me go back to my story to explain what I mean. My son Giordan never gave up. He would get in line after line, even stuffing his shoes in an attempt to look bigger hoping to get on one of those “big kid rides” only to be told time after time that he was not big enough. Towards the end of the day, he got in line for one last time. When the ride conductor saw my son’s face she felt so bad for him that she allowed him to go through, even though he was not big enough. My son launched forward with no fear at all. The ride took off and I must say I felt a sense of happiness for him. But not waiting for the right time came at a cost. The force of the ride was more than his body could absorb, so he ended up in a neck brace with a case of whiplash. Part of growing spiritually and receiving God’s very best is learning to wait on Him. He always shows up at the proper time.

Bible reading
James 5: 7,8 NIV

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

Heavenly Father, help me to realize that You are always at work in my life, even when I feel like I’m getting left behind.