CHAPTER 4: LINE UP AND WAIT
It is important to remember that God is in charge, even when you’re qualified to do the job, you are ready and the opportunity is before you. Keep in mind, God prepared you, made you what you are and will use you in the correct time. If you go too soon, or too late, not as good, you sort of miss the window. Impatient or fearful is not necessary when working with God. However, employing impatience or fear can cause great, great harm. Sin is an interruption on course to a destiny, and in sin we can miss everything we have prepared for.
Psalm 46:10
New International Version
10
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Definitely words to consider when you’ve got that feeling to move right now because you might miss something if you don’t. Or your prayer is answered and you feel it’s just too much of this or that so you go for something better perhaps, not good, maybe you missed a stepping stone or use the blessing for something different instead, something other than what was prayed for or prepared for in you.
Crazy – let’s have a simple example. I pray for the down payment of a house, I get the money and buy something else. Sounds rather disrespectful, or disobedient — doesn’t sound correct, does it?
As the title says, Chapter 4 Line Up and Wait. When given a good idea, take the time to do it right, leaving room for God to work on and prepare you – so that when it’s time to go – the job is done well/correctly, in His Holy Name, better than our best and in the Original Blueprint He has made for us and most importantly, right on time. Remember, the rule of doing “better than best” for God. Doing better than your best is the least you can do for God, who has given so much, however realize nobody can do better than a personal best without God, it’s just not possible. Oh, you can do your best, but my very, very, very best thinking gets me in a whole lot of trouble, doesn’t it? That’s my very, very best thinking. Without God, that’s all I’ll ever do. One big mess after the next. And the hardest part, is waiting on God, after He’s prepared me. Now, I’m prepared and I want to go, like now, turn me loose.
Just cause I’m ready to fly, doesn’t mean air traffic control has cleared me to take off. Get it? What if you have been prepared to prepare others? Best you teach discernment in the Word and patience in the waiting of God’s purpose.
1 Chronicles 17: 3-6
But it happened that night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, “Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”’”
You see, David was living pretty well, just like you and me. David wanted to do something for the Lord, and the Lord said, I’m good, you get back to doing what I have for you.
1 Chronicles 17:7-10
Now therefore, thus shall you say to My servant David, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Also I will subdue all your enemies. Furthermore I tell you that the LORD will build you a house.’”
God reminded David that He had been with Him all of His life directing and today would be no different. David wanted to build God a temple. God said, “Thank you David, but no thanks. Let me build you a house instead.” This was a greater promise than David’s offer to God because David’s house would last longer and be more glorious than the temple David wanted to build. Aren’t we the same? We think so much of ourselves that maybe we should now do something for God, as if we could do anything other than be obedient. By the way, in the end, David’s son built the temple, however David in His lifetime prepared all of the building materials to do the job. Then David died. That was David’s part and he obeyed. Waiting for God’s perfect timing. That’s what I’m talking about here in Chapter 4, Line up and Wait.
We are all impatient and we want stuff right now. Come on, that’s why we have companies, houses, cars, lives. Wanting things is a part of humankind. Needing things is a little more difficult. Balance is a big part of what we need versus what we want. However, Chapter 4, line up and wait is probably very challenging if not the most challenging of the 50 chapters we study.
Patience is key. In Genesis 16, I believe, The bible tells the story of Abraham, and Sarah getting up in years, God had promised a son and Sarah was barren. Doubting God, Abraham had relations with the maid Hagar, she got pregnant, Ishmael was born, all Hell broke loose, Sarah kicked out the maid and the descendants of that boy are the major players in the middle east crisis to this day, all part of the 12 tribes of Egypt that stand against Israel. True story. God said of Ishmael,
Genesis 16:12
“He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”
Genesis 17:20
But as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
Again, I am reminded, not waiting on God can have catastrophic results. At an airport not all the planes can take off at once or when they feel like it. There is a tower and air traffic control. Lots of equipment and lives are at stake. In the same way God orchestrates your flight path from beginning through eternity. It takes time for God to move the world around you so you are safe in your journey. If you become impatient you may find yourself in grave danger or simply lacking in what could have been a tremendous opportunity had you just waited.
C.S. Lewis said:
He who has God and everything else has no more than he who has God only. (CS Lewis, The Weight of Glory)
So let’s have an example of line up and wait, the concept itself. The “God Spark” I call it. The big idea and then to execute the big idea, the “Age before Beauty” lesson. A good anything must age a bit before it is beautiful. Same with preparation and talent. When I’m devising a plan, it requires thought and patience. The more I work on it, the better it becomes. The more I work on my company, the better. There is a time for everything. Mordecai said it best in the book of Esther as he spoke to Esther, who had just become queen, as a jew it was incumbent on her to tell the King that there was a plot to destroy the jews, a plot that the King himself was being used as a pawn. She was afraid, timing is everything, and as a jew she might herself be in danger, Mordecai spoke up…
Esther 4:14
New Living Translation
14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
Will you know when God says Go? Of course, especially if you have a relationship with Him. You’ll know it is definitely time to move, you will be convicted. As was Mordecai in the telling of Ester, and she listened. God will speak to you, you will know the time, He will not let you fail. We are always worried about missing the window of opportunity, or waiting too long or too short. I quote C.S. Lewis.
“If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other to end before we can really get down to our work. The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable. Favorable conditions never come.”
I’ve learned over the years with God, do what’s on the list today, taking care of what’s in the barn right now, so to speak. Do the hard work, do not distract yourself with the next shiny object or worse, take matters into your own hands. Seek guidance, seek knowledge, seek wisdom, seek God.
Galatians 6:9 New International Version (NIV)
9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
In today’s society if you deliver your product too soon without quality control, you create more problems. If you are not patient while training people, they will fail you. If you borrow money from a bank before you collect receivables, you will cost yourself in interest penalties, more money, headaches and possibly your entire profit margin.
Proverbs 14:29
Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.
There is a right time, not too soon, not too late, perfect timing and perfect timing is God. Let Him be God. Be patient kids, tend to the God Spark he has given you. Embrace quality learning to make beautiful your work for Him. When you’re ready, you’ve prepared and you’re truly ready, let Him place you on the front line and then wait, wait, wait for His order before the attack. How do you know? You will know, He’ll make sure of it. Trust Him.
Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Psalm 32:8 New International Version (NIV)
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Trust Him.
Chapter 4: Line Up and Wait —– for the Lord. Amen.
