You know we all live in a epic world, but most of us have a novella mentality. Let me explain a bit and see if you do not agree.
We look at our lives, our struggles and our dreams and we want instant results, quick fixes, and millisecond responses. The problem is that our lives are not novellas, but are in fact epic stories. Epic stories are not written in hours or in day. Epics are written over years and decades. Few would contend that the life of a average person (living too the mid 70’s) is only comprised of a few days. By God’s standards, our lives may be short, since our decades are mere seconds too Him, but to us our lives are long struggles against the forces that come against us.
If we look at the Bible, we see that few things of God happen suddenly. Now the end result may be sudden, but God always tells His people, or at least His leaders, what He will do and then He allows time for all to prepare for what He will do.
The flood is a good example of this. The rains were a sudden surprise to almost everyone, but God’s warnings began years / decades before. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is a example as well. Jesus began talking about His death long before the day of His cruxifiction, yet the cruxifiction came as a surprise too many. Jesus always promised that He would return, yet when He did exactly that it even took His most dedicated followers by surprise.
I share the above facts regarding God’s timing and habits to point out that Christians are all currently in the middle of a epic. That epic is their walk / life with Christ. Whether we are currently trying to start a new ministry or movement, attempting to revive a dead or dying ministry, re-spark a body of believers, impact our community and neighbors, share the gospel with the lost, take the gospel too those that have not heard it, teach current believers more about their faith or just get a closer personal walk with Christ it is a life long story, not short story with only one chapter.
Our walks with God can not be measured in the short term. Remember that due to the actions and issues within their own lives it took a generation for the Israelites to go from Egypt to the promised land. Yet, we want to go from our personal or collective Egypt to our personal / collective promised land in just a few days or weeks. God does not work that way. To help us with this situation though, He is always telling us His plans and providing for His word and work to be successful if we just listen and allow Him too lead.
God is the God of eternity and our time frame is not His time frame. Our lack of patience is not new or unique to us though as even Moses became frustrated with God’s timing. A key thing to remember is that the loving God we serve had a answer for Moses, and promise that He would not break with His people to lead them to their new homes. He also made sure that any that would listen, or even barely pay attention, would clearly see His plan, leadership, direction, and hope.
Exodus 33:12 Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, `Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, `I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
Exodus 33:14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
Exodus 33:17 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
Exodus 33:18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
Exodus 33:19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Exodus 33:21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
So today I just want to encourage you to stay the course and trust God to lead you along the path, even if it takes a lifetime to fully understand where God is leading you, what He is doing with you, and how He is working in, around and through you. Fortunately as we live out our epic, God gives us mercy drops of vision to His “big” plan every so often, and occasionally we even see quick action or results due to our labor or our lives. Most of the time however, our successes / impact are only really understandable after some time has pasted.
Summer VBS programs are good examples of that. There may be some short term impact, but the real impact will not be seen for a few years when we see how those young ones mature in the body and how good we as the body are at being the hands and feet of God that matures them.
Stay strong, be courageous and serve God mightily
