Why Rush?

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” Ecc 3:1

NOW

A decade ago we traveled to the Holy Land, with the goal to see and learn as much biblical history as possible. Thankfully, we had a terrific Jewish scholar as a tour guide who gave us amazing insights at each location. But I remember being so grateful that he didn’t just download all that information on us at one time and then leave us alone to our own devices. If he’d done that, there’s no way we would have been able to retain what we needed to in order to enjoy every location we visited. All along the way, at site after site, he delivered to us what we needed to know as we came to the places where the information was most helpful and valuable. He was the ideal guide.

John 16:13 paints the picture of the Holy Spirit as a “guide,” one who gives continuous direction on a need-to-know basis. “He will guide you into all truth.” Much of the heartache of frustration I have encountered in discerning God’s voice has come from wanting direction from Him before He’s been ready to give it. Aren’t most of us like these people  of Isaiah’s day? “Let Him make speed, let Him hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come to pass, that we may know it” (Isaiah 5:19).

But the Holy Spirit doesn’t give us all His direction upfront and then leave us alone to sort everything out. Rather, He can be trusted to tell us everything we need to know for now, and then to continually update His instructions as we step out in faith and obedience.

We ought to see this as a great blessing, not begrudging holdout. So be confident that when it’s time for you to know that you need to know, you will.  If you haven’t heard from God on a particular issue, it’s not because He’s lost your number and doesn’t know how to reach you. It may just be because the time is not yet right for Him to clarify this for you.

Bottom line, you have everything you need from Him at this moment. Otherwise, He’d have already given you more. So until God makes His next message clear to you—at the exact right moment, in His perfect knowledge and timing—here’s what you should do: whatever He’s told you to be doing right now. Doing this assures you that you are in God’s will for your life.

God is the God of “right now.” He doesn’t want you sitting around regretting yesterday. Nor does He want you wringing your hands and worrying about the future. He wants you focusing on what He is saying to you and putting in front of you…right now.

The voice of the Enemy, by contrast, will often focus on the past. What you did. What you didn’t do. What you’ve wasted. What’s the use? He’ll also focus on the future. What could happen. What might happen. What others will say. What am I suppose to do next? What makes you think you can do this?

God’s voice tells you what you can do now, not “if only.”

That dear, wise mentor and counselor of so many, Elisabeth Elliot, has said, “One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was, ‘Do the next thing.’” Instead of getting hung up on looking for the grand scope of God’s will for your life, just do what He’s called you to do right now. That’s all that really matters.

Now.

[Shirer, Priscilla. (2012) Discerning the voice of God. (pp. 175-178). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers]