Jesus Was Never in a Hurry: How His Slow and Steady Pace Can Help Us Live

JESUS WAS NEVER IN A HURRY
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Jesus Was Neverin a Hurry
On January 18, 2019 ByfrancesrogersInGOD'S GLORY, GOD'S GRACE,
GOD'S WORD
After becoming a disciple of Jesus Christin 1992, Ihave been blessedfor Him
to pour His grace and love into my new heart and through me to others.
Writing for over twenty-five years, the flow has not stopped. At times my
work was frustrating because I could not get an article or book finished before
He gave something else. I have a backlog of projects;some are filed “on the
back burner” some “in the oven;” others “chilling.”
It was a whirlwind at times trying to handle the flow of His grace. Notonly in
writing, but in other projects in the ministry of the church, for different
members of my family and for others, I lookedlike a “workaholic.”Idesigned
this tee shirt during that time of my life.
In the study, prayer time, research, writing, and publishing, He has taught me
how to handle what He gives without expecting that I can share it all in my
lifetime. At times, I have prayed that if I cannot handle something as
important as He gives, that He would give another of His children the
assignment, whether writing or ministry to an individual or family.
All this brings me to the subject of this post.

As I have learned of the Father’s sovereigntyand how He directs His
creatures in the work He calls them to do, He continues to teachme to wait on
Him, to be at peace and know that eachday is as He has planned. I cannot
accomplishanything if I try to go ahead of Him. This brought to mind our
Lord’s daily ministry, and just thinking of His manner of daily work gives me
a sense ofpeace and joy.
The Father’s Business
He was born in the Father’s timing. By the age of twelve, He knew His
purpose to “be about my Father’s business.” He did not need to hurry or
worry.
In every situation and teaching, Jesus knew His reasonfor being where He
was and the work He had to do. He knew the distance He had to travel, the
timing, and the outcome for every day of His life, His death, His resurrection,
His ascensionand His subsequentrole at the right hand of the Father as our
High Priest.
John 11 records the event of the death of Jesus’friend, Lazarus. Even after
hearing that he was sick, He did not hurry to healhim. He could have done so
with only His Word. He tarried with His disciples until after Lazarus had
been buried four days.
And I am glad for your sakesthat I was not there, to the intent ye may
believe; nevertheless letus go unto him. John 11:15
He never stayedlonger in one place than needed to accomplishHis purpose
for being there, whether to feed five or four thousand, healan individual, or
raise one from the dead. He was always in the right place at the right time
according to the will of the Father.
Up until the night in Gethsemane and His arrest early the next morning, He
perfectly carried out the plans for which He had been born into this world.
But when the fulness of the time was come, Godsent forth his Son, made of a
woman, made under the law,

To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
of sons.” Galatians 4:4-5
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly. Romans 5:6
And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleepon now, and take
your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Sonof man is betrayed
into the hands of sinners. Mark 14:41
When Jesus therefore had receivedthe vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he
bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. John 19:30
The sovereigntyof our Fatherhas planned our work for us and He will bring
it to pass. We need not worry or hurry to be about our Father’s business.
Even as our Lord spent His time with the Father, we must know His will and
follow our Lord Jesus Christ in proclaiming the kingdom and ministering in
His name where He places us.
In considering what I have desired to accomplish, I have failed many times.
The next statementsums up my thoughts on all I think I can do.
When all is said and done,
I will have done all I could have done
and He will have done all He would have done.
Gracious Father, for your plans for our salvationthrough your Son, we thank
you. We bless your name and praise you for your Word that teaches us who
we are in Christ and for your Spirit of truth and grace. Continue to lead us,
be with us always, and work through us to teach others who you are, who we
are, and why we are here. Complete the work you have begun in us in your
timing. In Jesus’name, I pray. Amen.

Jesus Didn’t Hurry
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There is a time for everything, and a seasonforevery activity under heaven. –
Ecclesiastes3:1
One of my staff members has a habit of reminding me that Jesus was neverin
a hurry. I’m always in a hurry, hoping for quick answers and looking for
motion in the direction I want to go. But then I hear him say it again… “Jesus
was never in a hurry.”
I’ve thought about that and it makes me think of using a crock pot. The most
tender, juicy meat you can fix is in a slow cooker. And, that’s how it is with
healing. Healing is a process thatwon’t be hurried. It’s a slow cooker
experience. And if you acceptthat, it will take the pressure off you to finish it
up.
God desires for you to pay attention to Him and His creationin your life each
day. When you race through life doing everything as fast as you can, you miss
some pretty awesome things along the way. Every challenge, everygrowth
opportunity, every surprise that comes your way is an opportunity for your to
look for God.
Healing can be slow, but it doesn’t mean you’re not growing. Allow it to slow
cook and you’ll have a tastier recoveryfilled with some mouth watering
nuggets of wisdom. Let the MasterChef do His job with you.
Jesus was neverin a hurry. Why are you?
– Steve Arterburn
Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in
front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I’ve ever gained from being
in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in
the wake ofall the rushing…. Through all that haste I thought I was making
up time. It turns out I was throwing it away. – Ann Voskamp

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday. – A.A. Milne
https://newlife.com/jesus-didnt-hurry-2/
22 Jun Jesus was neverin a hurry.
Postedat 08:50hin Uncategorizedby Alton Webb
Jesus was neverin a hurry.
In the first chapter of Mark, Jesus said, “Let us go somewhere else-to the
nearby villages-so Ican preach there also. Thatis why I have come.” Perfect
purpose wasn’t rushed. It was steady. All the way to the cross. He knew why
He came and it wasn’t to stay put. Jesus was fully equipped and moved in the
Father’s timing.
Why are we so hurried? We always want to stay a few steps ahead, sometimes
willing to try to push God out of the way if He slows us down. Or sometimes
we have the opposite problem. We drag our feet and placate the gentle nudge
that God gives in everyday life? Maybe it’s not switching jobs or
international trips to feed children, maybe it’s the opportunity to volunteer in
your child’s classroom, commit to a localchurch, or to reactin kindness
instead of rage. Maybe the time is now.
Instead of spending our energy trying to speed up or slow down situations and
decisions in our life, what if we focusedon how God might be equipping us to
do what He puts in front of us.
God doesn’t necessarilycallthe equipped but he always, without a doubt,
equips the called. Translation(in less churchy terms): God isn’t cherry-
picking the people who have their stuff togetherto do his work. He decides to
use us (in all of our sloppy, messed-up splendor) and gives us all of the
abilities and resourceswe need to do what He has planned.

I told God that I’m not a Bible scholar. I didn’t go to seminary. I’m a small
business owner. An entrepreneur. God made me a pastor. I didn’t like to read
as a child. My wife says I like to make up my ownwords. I’ve never thought of
myself as a writer. God made me an author. See a theme here?
Jesus Was Busy, But He Was NeverIn A Hurry
Postedon August 6, 2015
Traveling in ministry is something I did not originally dream of doing, but
God blessedme with the calland the opportunities. I love what I do. I often
say, “Wow, I can’t believe I get to do this!”
Back in the early days of travel, I was invited to speak in Kokomo, Indiana. I
could hardly wait to getthere. On the day I was to leave, I hurriedly got my
things together. I really didn’t pause to be sure I had what I needed to fulfill
the callthat weekend. After all, I was in a hurry.
When I arrived in Kokomo, I had all the right clothes, my hair was done, my
nails lookedgood… yep, I was set to go. As I settled in my room that
morning, I reachedfor my notes to spend a little time reflecting on the word I
was to bring. I could not find my notes! I searchedfor an hour and was in full
panic mode. I calledmy husband to check if the notes were in my office. Yep!
The notes for every sessionwere right there on my desk, hundreds of miles
away. This was in the days of fax machines, not email attachments. My
husband had to fax many pages of notes, and I had to pay the hotel for each
page that was faxed.
There was a big emotionaland financial price tag attachedbecause I was in a
hurry!
Needlessto say, we are in a “hurry-up” world – get it done, and get it done
now! The question is, “Has that thought-pattern crept into the walk we have
with God?” Our hair looks good, our clothes look good, but somehow in the
hurry-up of life, we are emotionally, spiritually and financially spent.

Jesus was busy about His Father’s business, yet there doesn’t seemto be any
indication that Jesus rushed into anything. He spent time with His Father, and
from that place of intimacy, He walkedHis life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
He did not allow the needs of people, the crowds or the culture cause Him to
rush into a pace not set by God.
J.B. Phillips said: “Christ’s task and responsibility might well have driven a
man out of his mind. But He was never in a hurry, never impressed by
numbers, never a slave of the clock. He was acting, as He said, as He observed
God to act – never in a hurry.”
I know life is complex and has many demands. Becauseofthat, we must
understand our biggestdemand – time with God. My life, with all of its
complexities, issues and decisions, demands that I walk in pace with God.
Jesus was busy, but He was never in a hurry. SELAH
Psalms 27:13-14 I believe that I shall look upon the goodnessofthe LORD in
the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take
courage;wait for the LORD!
http://barbarabenton.org/2015/08/06/jesus-was-busy-but-he-was-never-in-a-
hurry/
Jesus is Never in a Hurry
Assurance Confidence Dr Eliezer GonzalezFaith New Testament
Jul 1, 2019
567
We’re always in a hurry, and it’s easyfor us to miss things. That’s why it’s so
goodto know that God isn’t, and he doesn’t.

When Simon Peterentered the tomb of Jesus onthe greatestSunday morning
in the history of the world, what he found was astonishing!The Roman guard
was gone. The stone had been rolled away. The tomb was empty. The Gospel
of John also tells us that,
Following him [John], Simon Peterentered the tomb and saw the linen cloths
lying there. 7 He also saw the face cloththat had been on Jesus’head. It
wasn’t with the other clothes but was folded up in its own place. (John 20:6,
CEB).
What is interesting about this is that the word that John uses here to saythat
Peter“saw” the linen cloths is a word that specificallymeans to look very
carefully. He studied them attentively. The reasonwas that, on top of
everything else, to see the grave clothes like was very, very odd. If someone
had stolenthe body, they would never have takenthe time to carefully
unwrap it. They would have just grabbed the body and run as fastas they
could! No-one needed an unbound corpse!It was almostas if the body of
Jesus didn’t need the linen wrappings any longer.
And then the Gospelof John records another amazing thing that Peterfound:
He also saw the face cloth that had been on Jesus’head. It wasn’twith the
other clothes but was folded up in its own place(John20:7, CEB).
Peter’s attention was then focusedon the linen cloth that was customarily
placed overthe face of the deceased. It had been folded up neatly. If someone
had come to take the body, they would have been in a rush, and even if they
that hadn’t been the case, who would have bothered to take the time to do fold
some of the grave clothes?
None of this made sense to Peter. That’s because he didn’t believe that Jesus
had risen from the dead. And all of these small eye-witness details are pieces
of the evidence that point to the reality of the risen Lord.
What didn’t make sense to Peter canmake sense to us.
Jesus Leaves No Loose Ends

The folding of the face cloth wasn’t the act of grave robbers. Neither was it
the actof someone trying to perpetrate the greatesthoaxin history. It was the
act of someone who knew exactly what he was doing, and who wanted to make
a statement.
This tells us some very important things about Jesus. WhenJesus rose from
the dead, despite the importance and excitement of the event, he paid
attention to detail. Jesus leaves no loose ends. Jesus is never in undue haste.
For those of us who wonder, amid the seeming chaos oflife, whether
everything will really be all right in the end, this is really goodnews!
Jesus is interested in the details of your life; even those things that we might
thing should be of no interest to him, like an Instagram post… or a folded
napkin. Although you might run around stressedand anxious, worried that
you may have missedsomething in your life, relax and breathe, because Jesus
has your back. He has the details of your life sorted out.
No matter how busy you might be, even though it might not look like things
aren’t working out for you, remember that the Son of God is never in undue
haste.
Jesus does everything well. You can trust him with your life. He left a folded
face-clothto prove it.
– Eliezer Gonzalez
JESUS WAS NEVER IN A HURRY
Isaiah28:16b says, "...He that believes need not make haste." Jesus was never
in a hurry. He never told His disciples to start jogging so they could get to the
next town on time. God's people need to slow down and fellowship with Him.
So many today are either busy seeking ministry or giving ministry to others.
But, the early Church did something that few do today or even know
about?they ministered to the Lord.

If you want to hear from God you must sit at His feet. To effectively minister
to others you must first minister to the Lord. When you minister to Him He
will speak to you: "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost
said, 'Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them'" (Acts 13:2). When you minister to the Lord He will give you such
peace and contentment that you will not wonder or guess?youwill know what
to do (John 8:29).
Unless you first minister to God, much of what you do will be polluted with
flesh and not with His anointing. Some have it all wrong, He is not looking for
volunteer "leaders" (Matthew 20:16). Yes, God is looking to save all of
mankind, but He has not called all to be leaders. However, if He does callyou
to be a leader, you must learn to minister to Him before you minister to
anyone else. Thatis where you will hear His voice and that is when you will
learn to not get in a hurry; instead you will simply watch Him work (John
5:19).
This does not mean you empty your mind or enter some easternmeditative
state. God's not looking for you to empty your mind, but to fill your mind with
His word (Psalm119:140).
http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word/7785
God is Neverin a Hurry!
July 26, 2019 MaryLindow
Have you ever tried to watcha seedgrow?
The problem is, you can’t. It remains hidden under the dark gardensoil until
the seedling is ready to break the crusty surface and appear.

Sometimes things buried in us need to surface!
But, they’ll only do that after we sit still long enough and wait to let them
break through. Perhaps they’re deep issues that have undermined our lives
for years. Silence forcesthem to emerge!
You might be asking, “Whyisn’t God fulfilling the promise in my life?”
Hint: He’s waiting on you!
You think you’re waiting on God?
Actually my friend, He’s waiting on you and I to learn that before He brings
the answeror solution, He has some things He wants us to develop first, like
some growth patterns He wants you and I to put into practice in our lives.
God is never in a hurry.
He can do things immediately, but He’s working on a largeragenda. The
delays that come into our lives do not destroy God’s purpose.
They fulfill God’s purpose in our life. They make us a better and more
humble person. God WILL make a waywhere there seems to be no way if we
will patiently learn to wait.
“These things won’t happen right away.
Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass.
Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” Habakkuk 2:3.
The things you’ve waitedfor in your life, God will bring to fulfillment!
Something is absolutelygoing on during those times when it feels like nothing
is happening or moving ahead.
It’s “growthunderground”! Deep roots of contentment and confidence are
developing in the plan that God has mapped out for you, and these will stretch
and anchoryou into a hope that lasts and sustains through every dry season.

In His Shadow,
~ Mary Lindow ©
Duplication and sharing of this writing is welcomedas long as complete
messageand website information for Mary Lindow is included. Thank You!
” THE MESSENGER” ~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
www.globalprayerrooms.com
Mary Lindow has a passionfor encouraging others – all generations, careers
or vocations to live expressing excellencethrough personalintegrity, healthy
accountability, and wise managementof talents and skills. She’s a sought after
keynote, inspirational, humorous speakerand teacheracross the U.S.A and
internationally in Ministers & Spiritual leaders Conferences, andtraining
seminars for various organizations.
DID JESUS EVER HURRY
We have more technologyat our fingertips than those before us experienced
throughout entire lifetimes. All this efficiency hasn’t helped us slow down
though; it’s only made us move faster. Daily tasks like cleaning and cooking
are accomplishedby pushing a button, but they haven’t createdmore space in
our calendars. We canmessagesomeone acrossthe world in an instant, but
we’re increasinglydisconnectedin our relationships. Hurry and hustle is

swiftly eating up our time—and maybe even our peace of mind. Is this the way
Jesus wantedus to live?
When you read the gospels,do you get a sense Jesusis rushing from one thing
to another like we do from meeting to meeting? Jesus never gives us the sense
that he was “checking his watch” and worry others were going to make him
late with their requests. He lived a full and a fully obedient life without ever
running out of time.
Gordon MacDonaldfurther explores the philosophy of life Jesus had and his
relationship to his time. How was it that he managedhis time so well, allowing
for times of reflectionand service? MacDonaldwrites, “The first think that
impresses me is that Jesus clearlyunderstood His mission. He had an
overarching task to perform, and He measured His use of time againstthat
sense ofmission…It is impressive to realize that there were thirty years of
relative obscurity and privacy in preparation for three years of important
activity.”
Jesus understooddifferent seasonsoflife required different responses,
expectations, and opportunities. His awarenessofhis mission servedas the
foundation for both his private preparation and public ministry. As you
identify the seasonoflife you’re in and anticipating, make sure you also
recognize your personal missionthat can help drive your choices in both.
All Christians are expectedto join in God’s mission of reconciliationto the
world and we’re eachuniquely gifted to join in that largermission. Here are a
few questions that can help you discern your personalmission:
1 // What am I goodat?
2 // What am I passionate about?
3 // What need do I see in the world around me?
Once you identify your mission and current season, you’ll be free to say “yes”
to the best things instead of trying to do everything. Don’t rush through this
seasonorthe next. Follow Jesus’example to choose obedience overhurry.

God Running? In a Hurry?!
I am always in a hurry. I hurry to getup and getto work. I hurry to eatlunch.
I hurry to gethome at a decenthour. Admittedly, I am a “Type-A” person,
but our modern rat-race life often forces us to be in a hurry. As a Christian
the ultimate question becomes, is God everin a hurry? Did Jesus everrun
anywhere? Was He ever in a rush?
Jesus said:“A certainman had two sons. And the younger of them said to his
father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to
them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gatheredall
together, journeyed to a far country, and there wastedhis possessions with
prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that
land, and he beganto be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen
of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would
gladly have filled his stomachwith the pods that the swine ate, and no one
gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired
servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will
arise and go to my father, and will sayto him, “Father, I have sinned against
heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be calledyour son.
Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his
father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son,
embracedhim, and kissedhim.
Luke 15:11-20.
The sonhad declaredthat his father was dead to him by wanting his
inheritance early. He disgracedhis family and likely broke his father’s heart.
Jewishcustoms and law would have calledfor this son to be punished and
even stoned for his actions. Whenhe finally reachedrock bottom he never

imagined he could be restoredto his father. He wantedto be a hired servant,
which is not even the same as a regular servant that lived at the father’s home.
The sonwould have to get cleanedup, earn his way back, slowlyregain trust,
and rebuild the relationship. He would suffer shame and rebuke from his
father for his heartless actions. But he was wrong about his Father! And very
often we are too.
The only time in Scripture that God is in a hurry is to greetthe lostsinner
who repents and comes “back home to the Father.” The Fatherwas waiting,
watching, ready and eagerto forgive and fully restore his son without rebuke.
When he saw him coming he ran to him. He didn’t care that he was dirty,
smelly, and that his son had treatedhim as if he were dead. He just wanted his
son back. Jesus clearlycommunicates to us in this parable that God runs
towards us when we move towards him for salvation. This is the heart of God
for every lostsoul. He is not waiting to judge but waiting to forgive and fully
restore us just as we are!
This is an incredible truth! The LORD loves eachand everyone one of us so
much that He can’t stand to just watchus come to Him. No. He runs towards
us to embrace and kiss us with the love of God. Yes! You are that valuable
and dear to God’s heart. This is true when you are savedand when you have
sinned. You don’t have to earn God’s favor. He is waiting and watching for us
to come back to him with a repentant heart so He can embrace us and shower
us with His love. How much more then does He want a relationship with us
eachday! Go to the Father in prayer, praise, and worship. He is eagerly
waiting for you.
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him,
and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf
here and kill it. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead
and now is alive. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. Luke
15:23–24.

What a Hurried Spirit Does to our Compassion
Downloadon iTunes | DownloadMP3 (right click to save)
Text: Luke 10:25-37
Jesus was busy, but never in a hurry.
A man once told me, “I wanted to figure out why I was so busy, but I never
could find the time to do it.” I think we’ve all had that sentiment at one time
or another.
It’s been said that Jesus was busy, but never in a hurry. Some may not even
know that there is a difference, but a hurried spirit is a saboteur that siphons
the compassionright out of our daily lives.
In Luke 10:25-37, Jesus tolda story about a Jewishtravelerwho was mugged
and left for dead on the side of the road. Two devoutly religious people looked
directly at the man, yet hurried by the other side of the road without even
slowing down to help the man. The only one who did stop to help was a
Samaritan—a very unlikely prospectgiven that Samaritans were considereda
lowerclass of people and marginalized by the Jews. The parable shows us
what it looks like to put our faith into action rather than merely adhering to
idle religious truth. It reminds us that if our love for God is genuine, it will be
demonstrated by loving others indiscriminately (I John 3:17).
The CompassionSaboteur
Many years ago, two PrincetonUniversity psychologists did an experiment
that involved a modern day re-creationof this parable, involving seminary
students preparing for the ministry. The students were randomly split into
two groups. The first group was askedto prepare a sermon on the parable of
the GoodSamaritan while the secondgroup prepared a sermonon a random
Bible text. The students were then scheduled to deliver this sermonat an
appointed time and place.
Upon arriving at the first place, they were told that the locationhad been
changedat the last minute and that they were to go to a new location. But
before they could go, a secondphase involved splitting the students into three

groups with an added mix of “hurry manipulation.” One group was stressed
into high hurry mode, the secondwas givena moderate hurry mode, and the
third was told that they could take their time getting to the new venue (low
hurry mode). After this hurry manipulation, the students were pointed to the
exit and directed to proceedto the next venue.
Now, along the way to the next venue, the researchers hadstrategically
positioned an actorin an alley to play the part of the man who was mugged in
Jesus’story, even showing signs of distress. He was slumped over and as the
students passedby, the man groanedloudly.
So, who stopped to help? Only 10% of the seminary students who were in a
hurry stopped to help, while 63% of those who weren’tin a hurry stopped to
help.
The study showedthat a willingness to demonstrate compassionhad nothing
to do with which of the students had just read the story of the Good
Samaritan. The single greatestfactorin demonstrating compassionwas
whether or not the person was in a hurry. Incidentally, in some cases,
seminary students in the high hurry condition literally stepped over the
groaning person on the way to deliver their sermonabout the Good
Samaritan!
They concluded that the words “you’re late” had the effectof making
someone who was ordinarily compassionate andcaring into someone who was
indifferent to suffering. Hurry is a subtle form of evil in our day because it
turns ordinarily compassionatepeople into self-absorbed, callousedjerks. We
are a different kind of people when we are hurried. It messes with our internal
capacityto walk in the rhythm of God’s love, compassion, and altruism.
In his book Life on the Vine, Philip Kennesonmakes the point that love has a
different kind of pace. “Godwalks ‘slowly’ because he is love… Love has its
speed. It is an inner speed. It is a spiritual speed. It is a different kind of speed
from the technologicalspeedto which we are accustomed. It is ‘slow’yet it is
lord over all other speeds since it is the speedof love,” he says.
Give Your Spirit Time to CatchUp

A European explorer in Africa hired some native Africans to help carry his
equipment through the jungle. They didn’t stop for three days. At the end of
the third day, the hired hands stopped and refused to move on. The explorer
askedwhy, and one of the African natives said, “We have moved too quickly
to reachhere, now we need to wait to give our spirits a chance to catchup
with us.”
Beloved, we need Christ’s compassion. We needour hearts to break for the
things that break God’s heart. But if we don’t take the time to slow down and
let our spirits catchup with us, our pace caninadvertently turn us into
callousedand indifferent people to those in need around us. Considerthis as
you take time to abide in Him this week.
Father, we desire Your love and mercy. Teach us the rhythms of Your grace.
Help us to learn the pace of the Holy Spirit so that we don’t miss who You
bring into our path this week to love as our neighbor. Guard us from
hurriedness, callousness, andindifference. Fill us with Your compassionand
kindness, and lead us out to make a difference in the lives around us. We
pray, in Jesus’name, amen.
A hurried spirit is a saboteur that siphons the compassionright out of our
daily lives.
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For further study: Proverbs 19:2; 21:5, Matthew 11:28-30, Philippians 4:6
Questions for Reflectionand/or Family Discussion:
How would you describe the difference betweenbeing busy and being
hurried? Why is it important to recognize this difference?
Jesus taught the importance of loving your neighbor as yourself. Who would
you define as your neighbor? How does the parable of the Good Samaritan
help shape this definition?
When have you sensedthe most compassionin your life? What factors do you
think fueled that compassion?

What can you do this week to overcome a ‘hurried spirit’ and see more of the
fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) in your life, even in times of
busyness?
https://www.jimmylarche.com/what-a-hurried-spirit-does-to-our-compassion/
Question:"What does the Bible sayabout busyness / being too busy?"
Answer: In our supersonic postmodern society, knownfor its busyness and its
increasing ability to deliver instantaneously, we find ourselves hurried more
than our ancestorsevercould have imagined. We have come a long way from
the horse-and-buggydays, and because ofthat, our twenty-four hours a day
seemmore and more restrictive. We never feel like we have enough time to
accomplisheverything we want or need to do, and the clock keeps ticking.
Amid maintaining a 1,500-calorie diet, picking up the kids from soccer
practice, and keeping our car insurance current, we can somehow lose touch
with what is really important. We become like robots rapidly moving from
one task to the next. We are overworked, overstressed, and spiritually
undernourished. Our culture promotes “biggerand better” and subtly
challenges us to keepup. Whew! Who made these rules anyway? Satanloves
to keepus running in circles trying to beat the clock. If he candistract us, he
can minimize our usefulness to the Kingdom of God. Satan may be the Prince
of Darkness, but he is also the Duke of Distraction.
As Christians, we cannot allow ourselves to be sweptawayin the
undercurrent of the cultural stopwatch. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform
to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good,
pleasing and perfectwill.”

The Bible places high value on rest and peaceful living. During Jesus’earthly
ministry, He Himself escapedthe busyness of the crowds occasionallyto
renew His strength. Mark 6:31 says, “Then, because so many people were
coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to [His
disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” It
is difficult, if not impossible, for us to hear God’s still, quiet voice over the
roar of the 21st-centurycrowds, so, like Jesus, we must make time to rest and
hear from our Lord.
A greatexample of the consequencesofbusyness is showcasedin Luke 10:38–
42: “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a
woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sistercalled Mary,
who satat the Lord’s feetlistening to what he said. But Martha was distracted
by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked,
‘Lord, don’t you care that my sisterhas left me to do the work by myself? Tell
her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worriedand
upset about many things, but few things are needed—orindeed only one.
Mary has chosenwhat is better, and it will not be taken awayfrom her.’”
If we are honest, most of the time we resemble Martha more than Mary. We
rush around doing “what needs to be done,” while missing the glimpses of
Jesus all around us. As difficult as it is, and as contrary to our culture as it is,
we must intentionally make the effort to slow down and model Mary because,
as Jesus Himself said, “Mary has chosenwhat is better, and it will not be
takenawayfrom her.”
Philippians 4:6–7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We must be intentional about
making time to rest in Jesus. Let the phone ring, the chores canwait, and

socialmedia could use a break. Those things are not eternal. Jesus is eternal.
Let us make the effort to sit at His feet and enjoy Him rather than miss Him
like Martha did because she was fussing over the dishes. Isaiah55:6 says,
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-busyness.html
SLOW DOWN, GOD"S NOT IN A HURRY
A common complaint that non-Westerncultures voice about Americans is
that, if they want to make plans with us, they have to schedule everything two
weeks in advance. With pressing work schedules, shortvacations, a plethora
of extracurricular activities, and the overriding sense of urgency, our lives
leave no room for the lingering moment. We value the short, quick, and
expedient. Sound-bytes dominate the airwaves, offering less and less while
stealing more and more time, and the world moves at a dizzying pace. Thomas
L. Friedman’s latestbook, Thank You for Being Late, describes this hustle:
“We are living at one of the greatestinflectionpoints in history . . . . The three
largestforces onthe planet—technology, globalization, and climate change—
are all accelerating atonce” (3). While most people are “overwhelmedby it
all,” Friedman argues, “in such a time, opting to pause and reflect, rather
than panic or withdraw, is a necessity” (4). If he’s right, the only way to
survive the pace is to buck the trend and . . . pause.
Christ’s followers ought to lead the way in slowing down; Jesus neverlived in
a hurry, never let the expedient dictate, and never neglectedthe important for
the urgent. Even when urgent news reachedHis ears (as in John 11, when He
heard about Lazarus’s illness), He waited on the Father’s timing, rather than
respond even to His friend’s need. He often took time to be by Himself, and it
may be that the incredible power of His ministry bubbled up from the depths
of intimacy enjoyed in solitarytime with His Father. If Jesus, who had the
most important ministry in all of history, saw pausing and reflecting as
essential, how much more should His followers adopt His example?

As the new year approaches, the pace of life will not slow down; we as Christ-
followers must deliberately interrupt its flow, slowing down, pausing, and
taking time to listen to God. One practicalway to put the brakes on is to open
God’s Word on a daily basis, and this works mostfruitfully with a plan. The
plan should involve a specific time, a specific place, and a guide to read the
Word of God in an orderly fashion. I use The ONE YEAR® Chronological
Bible, which breaks down Bible reading into daily portions that allow me to
digestthe Word and keepthe flow of the story.
Having a simple set of questions to aid in reading and understanding the day’s
Bible passagealso aids greatlyin comprehensionand growth. Factual
questions, such as “Who are the main people in this story?”, “Whatdid he do
next?”, and “What happened next?” aid in keeping track of story flow.
Inferential questions, like “Whatdoes this teachme about God, people, sin,
forgiveness?”, etc.,openthe text to deeperunderstanding of themes that run
through the whole Bible. Connectionand review questions (“Where have I
seensomething like this happen before?”)tie multiple stories togetherand
revealpatterns in people’s and God’s behavior. Application questions help to
give us a way to respond to what Godis revealing to us eachday, and aid in
our communication with God as we respond to Him in prayer.
Learning to waitupon God daily (Proverbs 8:34) has helped me to develop the
discipline of listening to God and to keepon growing in grace. Pausing and
waiting on God has produced reflection and renewalto survive and even
thrive in the pace of these days. How will you build the habit of listening to
God and reflecting on Him as life acceleratesaround you?
~Stan May
God Is Neverin a Hurry
by Rick Warren — September3, 2018

1.9K
“Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you
become mature and well-developed” (James 1:4 The Message).
Be patient with God and with yourself. One of life’s frustrations is that God’s
timetable is rarely the same as ours. We are often in a hurry when God isn’t.
You may feelfrustrated with the seeminglyslow progress you’re making in
life.
Remember that God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time. He will use
your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity.
The Bible is filled with examples of how God uses a long process to develop
character, especiallyin leaders. He took 80 years to prepare Moses, including
40 in the wilderness. For14,600 days Moseskeptwaiting and wondering, “Is
it time yet?” But God kept saying, “Notyet.”
Greatsouls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons ofsuffering.
Be patient with the process.James advised, “Don’ttry to get out of anything
prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed”
(James 1:4 The Message).

Don’t get discouraged. WhenHabakkuk became depressedbecausehe didn’t
think God was acting quickly enough, God had this to say: “These things I
plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches
when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these
things will surely come to pass. Justbe patient! They will not be overdue a
single day!” (Habakkuk 2:3 TLB).
Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not
where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. Years ago
people wore a popular button with the letters PBPGINFWMY. It stood for
“Pleasebe patient. God is not finished with me yet.” God isn’t finished with
you, either, so keepon moving forward. Even the snail reachedthe ark by
persevering!
PLAY today’s audio teaching from PastorRick
Talk It Over
What are some lessons youhave learned when God has delayed something in
your life?
What do you think God wants you to do when you get discouragedwith his
timing?
How can you show patience with others like God is patient with you? How can
you encourage people todayin their spiritual growth?
Jesus Was Neverin a Hurry-Father Charles Carpenter on the "Jesus Walk"
One of the most challenging aspects ofadopting a more monastic lifestyle is
learning to slow down in a world that continues to revolve faster. Father
Charles Carpenter of Alamos, Mexico just published “The Jesus Walk” in the

April 2011 edition of Homiletic and PastoralReview which discussesthe
importance of slowing down in order to live a more creative and satisfying
life.
In his article, he reminds us that Jesus took his time "from the start." He
spent 30 years working with woodin Nazareth and slept on a fishing boat
during a raging storm. He even put off healing Lazarus. FatherCarpenter
stated: “We might affirm, without much margin of error, that this man was
never in a hurry to do anything.”
Father Carpenteralso discussedin his article that greatmasterpiecestook
time to be done welland wondered about the lack of masterpiecesin today’s
world. People in the Middle Ages valued leisure and consideredworkaholism
as a "form of sloth." However, we turn out pulp novels today instead of great
works of literature. Writing faster on a computer instead of using a pen
deprives us of the pauses that bring forth creativity. “Perhaps the reasonwe
do not have greatmen in our times is because we do not allow ourselves to do
things slowly, that is, with the time it takes to do it well.”
How do we counter this culture that values speed over quality? He
encouragespeople “to learn a new dance – the Jesus Walk” whichis “walking
slow” and allowing time for creativity. He also reminds us to find time for
prayer and uses the example of Jesus who always prayed before making
major decisions. It is not “time lost” but the “best investment.”
The most intriguing part of the article was how rest is associatedwith
creativity. Lately, I have been busier which might explain my struggles with
writer’s block. It has been increasingly more difficult to find time for prayer
in the morning and journaling. I finally cut back on outside activities which
has helped me focus. It will be an interesting experiment to write more with a
pen insteadof a computer (and I confess to writing this blog on a computer
but at a slow pace).
Last weekend, I learned a lessonin slowing down. My son and I were
returning from the store in the rain and were chatting as I drove through the
neighborhood. Suddenly, a car tried to turn in front of us from the streetto
our right. I put on the brakes and barely stopped within inches of hitting the

car. The speedlimit is slow in this neighborhood so it is tempting to drive
above it. I realize if I had driven faster, my son and I would have been in a
serious head-on collision. Thank God the only thing that happened was that
both our hearts were pounding.
Dr. PeterMarshall, a famous 20th century Presbyterianminister, also wrote
about this topic in a sermon called “Sin in the PresentTense.” Itwas written
just after World War II. His observation was: “Whereasourgrandparents
could make a gracious ceremonyand devote a whole evening to a game of
Parcheesi,we now feel frustrated unless we canin a single evening, combine a
dinner date, take in a movie, make a couple of telephone calls, visit somebody
on the way downtownand maybe do some shopping on our way to the show.
We try to do too much in too short a time. We are compressing our lives into
capsules that are quite indigestible.” (Catherine Marshall, A Man Called
Peter, 1951, pg 323) He compared worry and anxiety to lack of trust in God
which is a sin. I wonder what he would think of our even fasterlife in the 21st
century.
Therefore, we must resolve to deliberately slow down our pace and find the
peace ofsoul from "living in slow-motion." It is counter-cultural but
certainly obtaining inner peace is worth the effort of slowing down. I hope
you will take time to readFather Carpenter's article. You can find it on his
website at http://www.missionariesoffatima.org/. The article is locatedunder
Christian Living. Click Christian Living and then "go to archive" to view the
article. You canalso find information on his work as a missionary in Mexico.
The Homiletic and PastoralReview website is http://www.hprweb.com/.
God Is NeverIn A Hurry
I read a small devotional book every morning called “Streams In

The Desert” by Jim Reimann. This reading really hit home with me, so I
thought I would share it with all of you.
After forty years had passed, an angelappearedto Mosesin the flames of a
burning bush in the desertnear Mount Sinai……Thenthe Lord said to him,
“I have indeed seenthe oppressionof my people in Egypt. I have heard their
groaning and have come down to setthem free. Now come, I will send you
back to Egypt.” Forty years was a long time to wait in preparation for a great
mission. Yet when God delays, He is not inactive. This is when He prepares
His instruments and matures our strength. Then at the appointed time we will
rise up and be equal to our task. Even Jesus of Nazarethhad thirty years of
privacy, growing in wisdom before He beganHis work.
God is never in a hurry. He spends years preparing those He plans to greatly
use, and never thinks of the days of preparation as being too long or boring.
The most difficult ingredient of suffering is often time. A short, sharp pain is
easilyendured, but when a sorrow drags on its long and weary way yearafter
monotonous year, returning day after day with the same dull routine of
hopeless agony, the heart loses its strength. Without the grace ofGod, the
heart is sure to sink into dismal despair.
Josephendured a long trial, and God often has to burn the lessons he learned
into the depths of our being, using the fires of prolongedpain. “He will sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver”. (Mal.3:3) Yet, He knows the specific amount of
time that will be needed.Like a true goldsmith, Godstops the fire the moment
He sees His image in the glowing metal.

Today we may be unable to see the final outcome of the beautiful plan God
has hidden “in the shadow of His hand” (Isa.49:2)It may be concealedfor a
very long time, but our faith may reston the assurance that God is still seated
on His throne. Because ofthis assurance we cancalmly await the time when,
in heavenly delight we will say “All things have workedtogetherfor good.”
(Rom.8:28)
As Josephdid, we should be more careful to focus on learning the lessons in
the schoolofsorrow than to focus anxious eyes on the time of our deliverance.
There is a reasonbehind every lesson, and when we are ready, our deliverance
will definitely come. Then we will know we could have never servedin our
place of higher service without having been taught the very things we learned
during our ordeal. God is in the process ofeducating us for future service and
greaterblessings. And if we have gained the qualities that make us ready for a
throne, nothing will keepus from it once His timing is right.
Don’t stealtomorrow from God’s hands. Give Him time to speak to you and
revealHis will. He is never late – learn to wait.
He never shows up late; He knows what is best.
Fret not yourself in vain, until He comes, just rest.
Neverrun impulsively aheadof the Lord. Learn to awaitHis timing – the
second, minute, and hour hand must all point to the precise moment for
action.

I have been doing very well these past weeks.I am on an increaseddose of
medicine to prevent seizures, and have been feeling pretty good. Godhas truly
Blessedus on this journey. We try to take eachday as the gift that it truly is,
and have been doing well to date. Only 19 days to Matt and Jen’s wedding
date! If God wills it, I will make that in goodenough shape to enjoy the event
to the fullest with all of our family. I just have to remember not to run ahead
of God and let His plans play out for all of us. God Bless allof you and thank
you for your continued prayers and support!
Yesterday is History, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift – that is why they
call it the present.
God Is NeverIn A Hurry, But God Is NeverLate church sign
On November18, 2012 while going home one day at night I saw the other side
of this church sign. (click here to see whatit says). It was too late at night and
dark to take a picture then. So I went back on November 19, 2012 to take the
picture. Below is what Wooddale Free WIll BaptistChurch of Strawberry
Plains, TN church sign says …
God Is NeverIn A Hurry, But God Is NeverLate
Wooddale Free Will Baptist Church
We are impatient people and we must realize that everything is on God’s
timing. We must patiently wait for Him. His timing is always just on time. We
may think it is late, but He has the perfect timing for the situation. Like with
Lazarus, Mary thought Jesus was too late, but His plan supersedes our plans.
Everything will work out according to the Will of God and in God’s timing.

Just trust in Him and His timing for everything. Patience is a virtual
especiallytoday in a world where we want it right now and right away.
Readmore: https://www.courageouschristianfather.com/god-is-never-in-a-
hurry-but-god-is-never-late-church-sign/#ixzz64n5GSf1s
Hurry Sickness
By Julie Clinton
The most serious signof hurry sicknessis a diminished capacityto love. Love
and hurry are fundamentally incompatible. Love always takes time, and time
is the one thing hurried people don’t have.
– John Ortberg
Who are the most important people in your life?
Right now every mother knows whether she is close to her children—she just
knows it. Every wife knows whethershe's close to her husband. And you know
whether you're close to God.
When we feel close, life is good. And when we don't, it's the pits. We all know
that relationships don't just happen.
"But I just don’t have time to keepup with everything and everybody," I
constantly hear from womaneverywhere. And I feel the same way a lot, too!
Being close takes hard work—feeling safeand free with one another. But we

need to be careful. When we are pulled in every direction, we caneasily give
our hearts to other things and develop disorderedaffections. Considerthis:
• American children ages 2 to 17 watch televisionan average of 1180 minutes
per week. Parents spend38.5 minutes per week in meaningful conversation
with their children.
• Adults and teens will spend nearly five months (3518 hours) next year
watching television, surfing the Internet, reading daily newspapers, and
listening to personal music devices.
• The average work yearfor prime-age working couples has increasedby
nearly 700 hours in the last two decades, andhigh levels of emotional
exhaustion at the end of the workdayare the norm for 25 to 30 percent of the
workforce.
• More than half of all consumers, atall income levels, saythat lack of time is
a bigger problem than lack of money, according to a survey in the
YankelovichMonitor.
The lack of relationaltime, I believe, is a spiritual problem. If the evil one
can’t make you bad, he'll make you busy. In order to grow in love for others
and love for Christ, we must slow down and stay connectedto Him and
others. I think Mother Teresa understoodthis as she warned, "Everybody
today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greaterdevelopments
and greaterriches and so on, so that children have very little time for their
parents. Parents have very little time for eachother, and in the home begins
the disruption of peace of the world."
Jesus realizedthat time was an essentialelementof meaningful relationships.
Though He had many followers, He selected12 to spend time with, teaching
them what they needed to know to help spread the GospelafterHis death
(Mark 6:30-32). He took the time to have dinner with Zacchaeus, a despised

tax collector(Luke 19:1-10). He loitered at a well to speak truth to a
Samaritan woman—eventhough Jews were not to associate withSamaritans
(John 4:1-26). He spent time awayfrom the crowd communicating privately
with God, His Father (Luke 5:16). In eachof these examples, Jesus takesthe
time to invest in other people and in His own relationship with God—the most
meaningful relationship of all. We must follow His model.
Maybe a shift in thinking is necessary. Insteadof "spending" time with others
we would be wise to "invest" our time. Spending leaves less for ourselves.
Investing enables us to profit—in our relationship with others and through
their relationship with us. Investing time in others is at the core of building
meaningful relationships.
We cannotchange the number of ours in a day, and we cannotmake time go
fasteror slower. But we can change the way we fill up our time. Ask yourself
this: When you sit with others, are you really present with them in your
mind?
Jesus made time to connectwith those in His path. He gave eachof them His
undivided attention—a goodinvestment. Unlike me, Jesus didn't run through
His day with a planner in one hand and a cell phone in the other. He didn't try
to squeeze as many people and activities into the day as possible. Richard
Swensondescribes Jesus'lifestyle:
Jesus neverseemedto be in a hurry…The Bible never says anything about
Him running. Apparently, Jesus believed that very little of lasting spiritual or
emotional value happens in the presence ofspeed. Jesus understoodthat
busyness, productivity, and efficiencyare speedwords, not kingdom words.
At times they are appropriate values—but they are never transcendent. Jesus
understood that meditation, wisdom, and worship are slow, mellow, and deep.

Jesus also understoodthat our willingness to give ourselves to others is what
really leads to meaningful connection. Why? Because it builds loyal
friendships, trusted family ties, and loving relationships. But loyalty, trust,
and love only come when we give ourselves to others—overtime.
The biblical characters JonathanandDavid understood it. Youthful
admiration for one another led to friendship over the years. David and
Jonathan’s relationship stoodthe testof difficult decisions and conflicting
loyalties. They fought through the adversity by staying loyal to God and to
one another. They built trust and strengthened their relationship. But it all
started with Jonathangiving himself to David. "Jonathan, out of his deep love
for David, made a covenant with him. He formalized it with solemngifts: his
own royal robe and weapons—armor, sword, bow, and belt" (1 Samuel 18:3-
4, MSG).
Jonathanpracticed his faithfulness to Godin his relationship with David.
Integrity, truth, intimacy, and loyalty characterizedhis side of the friendship.
And even though we can never be sure we’ll have a friend like Jonathan in
our lives, we canbe sure we’re being a Jonathan to others.
Healthy friendships, marriages, and family ties don’t happen overnight.
Loyalty, trust, and love take time.
Don't let hurry and the resulting clutter of everyday life rob you of your most
precious gift—relationships.

In the name of Jesus Christ, who was never in a hurry, we pray, O God, that
You will slow us down, for we know that we live too fast. With all of eternity
before us, make us take time to live---time to getacquainted with You, time to
enjoy Your blessings, and time to know eachother.
PeterMarshall
Be Still – Grace to Slow Our Pace
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people
succeedin their ways, when they carry out their wickedschemes.”Psalm37:7
(NIV)
Today my journey feels slow. I received a “no” in a place where my heart
desired a “yes.”
Seeing others achieve successwhile we wait on our yes responsescanstealour
peace. But we have a choice in the middle of our disappointments: Where will
we place our focus?
Looking around me? Those I see succeeding are doing goodwork, not evil
schemes. Butwith my eyes on others, I can become prideful if I’m a few steps
aheador filled with shame if I’m a few steps behind. Looking to others keeps
me looking at myself.
Looking to Jesus? Only with my eyes towardHim can I trust the path He has
for me. Only with my eyes on Jesus canI retain my peace. Only with Him as
my focus canI allow Him to setthe pace.
Jesus was neverin a hurry. He didn’t run to save Jairus’ daughter when He
heard her situation had grownworse. Instead, He paused to minister to the
woman with the issue of blood. And He waited two days after hearing of
Lazarus’ sickness before He came to see him.

Jesus was not swayedby those around Him. He didn’t let bad news determine
His steps. But He allowedGodto determine His purpose and God to setHis
pace.
After I receivedthe email with a “no,” I satin stillness before Jesus. In His
presence my heart found rest. I receivedHis peace and found renewed
purpose.
With my eyes on Jesus, I learn to follow His pace.
Click to Tweet
In that place of stillness, we receive God’s grace. With our eyes turned to
Jesus, we learnto follow His pace and receive peace no matter the situation we
face. BecauseofGod’s grace, we canslow our pace.
Reminder for the heart: With my eyes on Jesus, I learn to follow His pace.
Relatedresources to encourageyour heart: 3 Steps to Make Jesus Your
Focus, Where Will You Place Your Focus, Are You Walking in the Pace of
Grace, and Be Still – Be.
What’s on your heart? What helps you keepyour focus on Jesus? In what
area do you struggle with allowing God to set your pace?
https://www.crystalstorms.me/2019/08/be-still-grace-to-slow-our-pace/
Neverin a Hurry - a Devotionalfrom Our Daily Journey
Posted:Wednesday01 December, 2010

0
Neverin a Hurry - a Devotionalfrom Our Daily Journey
by Sheridan Voysey- Our Daily Journey
"ThoughI am always in haste, I am never in a hurry." I wish I could make
these words of John Wesleymy own.
Like Us on Facebook
Mostdays for me are full, with numerous duties, deadlines, phone calls, e-
mails, plans, and diary items to act on. Many times that peace that passes
understanding (Philippians 4:7) is pushed aside by busy thoughts and knots in
the stomach.
Sometimes I wonder if my problem is theological. Generallyspeaking, the god
you worship will determine the personyou become. Yes, the true God is
active. He governs every single moment of creation(Psalm 104). His eyes scan
the earth, looking to strengthen faith (2 Chronicles 16:9). Eachday, He
motivates His people to carry out His work (Philippians 2:13). But our God is
also the God who rested after creation(Genesis 2:1-3)and has a seasonfor
everything (Ecclesiastes3:1-8). If the growthof grass and the progress of
history hint at His ways, God may also be busy but He's never rushed.
When God walkedthe earth in the personof Jesus, He once againpushed
aside all notions of being rushed. He refusedto let the crowds dictate His pace
(Mark 1:35-39). He assuredus that the Father was active (John 5:17), and
that He did only what He saw the Fatherdoing (v. 19). His pace was in step
with His power. As J.B. Phillips has said: "[Christ's]task and responsibility
might well have driven a man out of his mind. But He was never in a hurry,

never impressed by numbers, never a slave of the clock. He was acting, as He
said, as He observed Godto act - never in a hurry."
The Almighty God may be busy, but He is never in a hurry. Given that we are
to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1), how does your pace compare?
Read:John 5:16 - 19
Next: Why do you think our societystruggles with "hurry sickness?"How
will you seek to do only what the Fatheris doing today?
Enjoy a biblical, interactive devotionalexperience that will help you grow in
your relationship with Jesus at ourdailyjourney.org
https://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/newsdesk_info.php?newsdesk_id=1
544
God is not in a Hurry
Postedon March 13, 2017 by Ben Foley
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith
and patience inherit what has been promised. -Hebrews 6:12
This is not an easyarticle for me to write. I hate waiting. I live in a culture
that is also very fast-paced, expects immediate gratification and is results
oriented. I am wired this way myself by nature and personality. And while we
may think this is “normal” life, it is interesting to note that it is also very
much a cultural dynamic. We are actually in the minority, with a very
different approach to time than many other cultures who are not as bound to
time as we are.
I travel a lot to India for example where being “on time” as we think of it is
very unusual. If a time is given of when something will begin, what that really
means is that that is the time people will begin to getready! Also, I quickly
learned the expression“two minutes” doesn’t literally mean “two minutes.” In

fact the expression“just five more minutes” usually safelytranslates to about
“thirty minutes to one hour!”
I’ve also learnedsomething else that has always puzzled me until being in
other cultures like India. That “revelation” is this: Jesus is not operating on
American time either! In fact, now I joke when in other cultures that when
Jesus said“He is coming soon” he certainly didn’t mean “soon” as Americans
think of it!
There is no denying the Western world has seenmassive progress andchange
because ofour obsessionor emphasize on time. But there is also no denying
we greatly stress ourselves outmore than other cultures because ofour “pace”
and “race” to accomplishas much as possible in the shortestamount of time.
Also, we have set ourselves up for perhaps greaterfrustration and
disappointment than others because we expectimmediate results, solutions,
fulfillment, progress and answers.
In fact, most dangerous of all is how this affects our relationship with God.
We feelwe are so “busy” and “strapped for time” that we “have no time” for
God, prayer, His word or simply waiting on him. We also expectimmediate
answers to prayer and because thatdoesn’t (or usually?) happen, we conclude
prayer often is pointless, a waste oftime, doesn’t work or God doesn’t care.
But the truth is this: Godis not bound to time like we are. He is the Alpha and
the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is above time and exists beyond
time as we know it. He holds eternity in his hands and is Himself the possessor
of eternity and giver of eternal life. This is a mystery to us but a reality to
Him.
God is also not in a hurry like we are. Think about it. Jesus didn’t enter
human history for thousands of years even though humanity was in need of
salvationand a perfect Saviorfrom the moment Adam and Eve first sinned in
the garden. But Scripture tells us the reasonfor what appears like a “delay”
was rather an issue of perfect timing: But when the settime had fully come,
God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those
under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. (Galatians 4:4-5).

Here again: even when He did finally come, Jesus didn’t even begin his public
ministry until He was thirty years old! The reasonwas once againtiming.
Even His crucifixion and resurrection had “it’s perfect time”: My hour has
not yet come. (John 2:4). My time is not yet here; for you any time will do.
(John 7:6).
Did Jesus Hurry
I don't recallany scripture telling that Jesus everhurried. If he didn't hurry,
should that be a pattern for us to follow?
Join Our Christian Penpals and Take The Obedience Bible Quiz
---Geraldine on 8/5/10
Helpful Blog Vote (3)
Yes! And back in those days, people did not hurry like we do today. How
much better our work would be if people would slow down, not to mention
our lives....Lets make right [righteous] decisions. MakeGodhappy, my
friends.+Ha, I rest my case.

---catherine on 10/3/10
tachu - is the greek wordused for 'quickly' or 'soon'. some versions use the
word as a measurement of time 'soon'... some as a measure of speed. i prefer
the latter. time has almost eliminated the former, but what is 'soon'to God?
'hurry' seems to denote 'making haste', and we have all heard 'haste makes
waste'. but Jesus told Zacchaeus andPaul to make haste.
but geraldine seems to talking about 'making quick' with worry. and Jesus
said not to worry and that means worry in any state.
so, the distinction is really unimportant because Jesuswill come swiftly and
He says to be ready.
---aka on 8/11/10
aka:
In Isaac Asimov's Guide to the Bible, Asimov comments on "Behold, I come
quickly" by saying something like "It's been 2000 years later, and we're still
waiting". He confused "quickly" with "soon". Whenlightning strikes, it
strikes quickly, regardless how long it takes before it strikes (and Jesus did
compare his coming to lightninig).

How does hurrying differ from doing something quickly?
---StrongAxe on 8/11/10
to come quickly and to come hurriedly are two different things.
https://christianblogs.christianet.com/1281015990.htm
The Simple Blessing of Slowing Down
August 17, 2018
Glynnis Whitwer
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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness,self-control;againstsuch things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)
A slowerlife sounds delightful! Maybe that’s why farmhouse living is such a
popular idea. We idealize a lifestyle led by simple faith and slowerdaily
routines.
But I’ll be honest, my farmhouse needs goodWi-Fi. I like the idea of a slower
lifestyle, but not when it comes to my computer speed. Even a 3-seconddelay
has me worried I might need an upgrade! (And I’m still waiting for my
smartphone to make me smarter.)
The truth is, some of us would be miserable if things sloweddown. We’d
much rather things hurry up.
The problem is, my soul wasn’t createdfor hurry. And as a result, hurry is
the enemy of what matters most in life.
For so many years it seemedsomeone pressedfast-forwardon my life. And I
say “someone” because Ifelt like a victim. It was always someone else’s fault
we were rushing around in the morning or racing out the door in a frenzy.
It took years for me to realize hurry wasn’t a mandate. There were other
options, especiallythose that made me a nicer person. Hurry didn’t bring out
my best. In fact, I canbe pretty self-centeredwhen I rush. And the work I
think I’m crushing is really crushing me.
The “why” behind living an overcrowdedlife isn’t easyto discover — and
mine certainly wasn’t. The reasons I jam-packedmy schedule were
complicated. Clearly having the right planner or time managementprogram
wasn’t the answer. Becauseunderneath it all, I was searching forsignificance
and believed doing more was the answer.
The more you do, the faster you have to work to getit all done. And the hurry
cycle begins.

Here’s the problem: Hurry never gets me what I really want.
I want deeper relationships with God and others;hurry makes them shallow.
I want to think more deeply about the Lord and the world around me; hurry
makes it impossible.
I want to do better work;hurry steals any excellence Ihope to have.
I want to serve others well; hurry causes me to brush over their needs.
Hurry steals the best from me, and so I must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from
my life.
We were designedto go at a slowerpace, to ponder, to process thoughts one at
a time, to focus on the face in front of us with tender care. And when we try to
go at computer-speed, we miss out on what’s important in life.
The Apostle Paul penned a list of the characteristicsa Christian should
exhibit when the Spirit of God lives in them. And not one of them is possible
when I’m in a hurry: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” (Galatians 5:22).
Hurry robs us of the beauty God has placedin front of us and the grace others
so desperatelyneed.
Sometimes dealing with hurry is as simple as deciding to slow down. Walk
more slowly … talk more slowly. Sometimes it means editing our schedules
and removing half (if not more) of our optional responsibilities.
We canuncover the root of our hurry, but it takes time. To start, the next
time you feelhurry start to sneak in and push the gas pedal, pause and
breathe deeply. Refuse to be rushed. Declare thathurry has no place in the
goodwork you’re doing or the beautiful life God’s placed before you.
Lord, thank You for Your patience with me. You are never in a rush when I
come to You. Help me turn to You more often and invite Your Spirit to have
His wayin me, bringing a calmness I desperatelyneed. In Jesus’Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY

Ecclesiastes7:8, “Betteris the end of a thing than its beginning, and the
patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” (ESV)
RELATED RESOURCES
If you’re worn out from being too busy and long for God’s gift of rest, you’ll
enjoy Glynnis Whitwer’s newestbook, Doing Busy Better:Enjoying God's
Gift of Work and Rest, with a free companionstudy guide. In it, Glynnis
explores what gets us too busy and how to find the soul-restGod really wants
for us.
CONNECT
Connectwith Glynnis on FacebookorInstagram.
REFLECT AND RESPOND
List your main optional responsibilities. These couldbe volunteer positions or
anything that’s not your main priority. Which things can you eliminate from
your schedule to give you more breathing room?
Does hurry have a hold on you at certaintimes of the day? Think through
what you could do the day before to prepare for that time.
Join the conversation!How does hurry affect your world? Let us know in the
comments section.
© 2018 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.
JOYCE MEYER
Well, have you been waiting on God for something to change in your life or
for an answerto prayer? You know, we need to remember that patience is not
just waiting, but it's how we actwhile we're waiting. And, I have a few things

to share with you about how to waiton God, and then I'll be back to answer
some of your questions.
My messagethis morning is called, "I'm in a hurry and God is not". Let's just
talk for a minute about hurry. You know, I don't know about you, but I find
myself hurrying everywhere I go. I mean, even like, from room to room in my
house. I hurry when I brush my teeth. It's like... And, God is really working
with me to just slow down, to... I'm even trying to practice in my house just
walk, you know, not like, so slow it's ridiculous, but just walking slowly. You
know, I have a book at home called, "God's rhythm," and it encouragesus to
learn how to live inside God's rhythm. And, I mean, if you really stop and
think about it, can you imagine Jesus whenhe was here on earth and with the
disciples saying "Hurry up, guys, let's go. We gotta getto the next town.
Hurry, come on. Let's go, get with it."?
Sure, that's funny. It's like, well, no, he wouldn't have done that, you know.
Why? Because he was in perfectpeace all the time and one of the reasons why
we don't have peace is because we're just hurrying all the time. We're here
trying to do this, but our minds already over there. And, you know, wherever
your mind is, for all intent and purposes, that's where you're at. And, you
miss whatever's going on right now, in this moment. If we don't stay present
in the present then we lose whateverhappened during that period of time.
I mean, honestly, if you don't keepyour mind on what I'm saying today, let's
just sayfor five minutes you leave mentally and go somewhere else.Maybe
you go to lunch, you know, or you're thinking about, "Well, maybe, I'll slip
out of here five minutes early so I canget to the food line and not have to
wait". My goodness, we wouldn't want to wait. "I'mma slip out early..." See,
you're so busy thinking about what you're gonna do. Come on. You're so busy
thinking about what you're gonna do that you don't realize what you are
doing. And, I think, part of the reasonwhy we don't enjoy life is because we

don't realize that the greatestpresentthat God has given us is the present. It's
the moment that we have right now.
And, I mean, even scientifically, we're told that people's ability to focus is just
terrible at this point. We've got phones ringing, and this happening, and that
happening. You know, everybody's busy and everybody wants us to be busy
with 'em. We've gotway too many things on our mind. And so, the first thing
that I noticed when I really started slowing down, and it's gonna take a while,
so if you wanna pray for me that's something you can pray for me about. The
first thing that I noticed is a much greaterawareness ofthe presence of God.
And boy, I want that. More than anything, I want to be aware ofhis presence
all day long, no matter what I'm doing. Maybe, not every single moment,
we're busy doing other things, but just very frequently be kinda drawn back
to just an awarenessthat God is with me.
You know, one of the best-selling books everis a little book by a man named
Brother Lawrence. And, he talked about living and walking in the presence of
God. Where everything you do is for God, and is done with God by his
strength, and power, and help. I read this and I think this is really just a great
way to look at it. "Godis never more than one thought away". Isn't that
good? So, all you have to do is think about him. Say a word, "Thank you,
Lord". "I love you Jesus". But, when we're in a hurry all the time, rushing
here, and rushing there we just lose sightof all that.
How many of you totally agree that what I'm saying is accurate? And how
many of you really would say, "I really need to do something about the
hurrying in my life"? See, and so, you know, part of it is, is we just commit to
way too many things and then there's no way that we can possibly get'em all
done if we're not hurrying all the time. And so, "I'm in a hurry and God is
not". God doesn'thurry. So, James chapter 1, verse 2. "Count it all joy, my
brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds". Yeah, boy, we can say,

"Hallelujah," in here, but you get out there and it's gonna be, "Ouch". It
doesn't saythat it feels joyful, it says, "Count it joy". And, the reasonwe are
to count it joy is because we're supposedto have an understanding of how
these difficulties help us grow spiritually.
We never grow spiritually when everything in our life is just the waywe want
it to be. I'mma say that again. We don't grow spiritually, I mean, you can
learn something but you still don't really know it if it's just in your head and
hasn't been workedinto your life yet. The only wayyou ever know what you
really believe is to have it put to the test. We cansing about trusting God and
we can talk about trusting God, but not one of you really knows whether or
not you trust God until something happens that makes absolutelyno sense in
your life, you feel like it's very unjust, and not right, and you can't getany
answers from God, and you don't feel like he's anywhere in the neighborhood,
and you're waiting, and you're waiting, and you're waiting. That's when you
find out if you really trust God. Amen?
So, that's why Paul tells us to, "Count these things joy". We grow spiritually
when we choose to do the right thing and behave in the right way when
everything around us seems wrong. That's when we grow. And, just to put it
another way, we grow when we're being good, and kind, and loving to people
who are hateful and mean to us. Oh!! Do we grow! Lord have mercy. Come
on, don't pray these prayers, "Oh Lord, help me love the unlovely". Can't we
sound spiritual when we pray? But, can we apply it in our lives? If you're
praying, "God, help me love everybody," then you better getready 'cause
you're gonna getsome that aren't gonna be too loving. I might as well tell you
the truth. "Count it all joy".
Now see, that's the difference in studying and reading. If you just read that,
that can sound nice. "Count it all joy, when you fall into trials and
tribulations, knowing that they work patience and in the end, it's all gonna

work out good". Well, we can read that and go right on and not evenhave a
clue what it means or what it talks about unless we really slow down and think
about, "What is this saying to me and for my life"? Why should we count it
joy? Becausethe Bible says it, "Produces steadfastness". Well, I like the
original amplified Bible on this. It says, "It brings out patience".
Well, I'll tell you what I found out. It brought a lot of stuff out of me before
we ever got around to any patience. And, I'll tell you the truth when you're
born again, in the deepestpart of your being, in the womb of your spirit, all
that God is, his ability, all the Fruit of the Spirit is planted in your spiritual
womb as a seed. And, as you waterthat seedand you work with the Holy
Spirit, then those things are eventually, supposed to fill not only our spirit but
get into our soul, which is your mind, your will, and your emotion. You begin
to think different. You begin to talk different. You begin to like different
things. And then, and only then, can the world then see Jesus throughus.
So, yes, patience is in there. But, I had a flesh that had to die. Do you know
what I mean, when I say, "The flesh has to die"? You all know? That's good,
I'm glad. Now, I don't know if you just said, "Yes," or you really know, but
for the flesh to die, it means that you're not gonna getyour way and you're
gonna be happy anyway. To die to self means that somebody that has
authority over you is gonna tell you that you can't do something that you want
to do, and we're gonna see if you can submit to authority with a goodattitude.
The world we live in today is so rebellious.
I mean, nobody wants to be told anything. You wouldn't even believe how
we've had people behave, even at these conferences,just buy us telling them,
they can't do something. "You can't sit in this section, it's reserved". "Well,
I'll sit where I want to". I'm like, "Whatare you here for"? Ou're expecting
to learn anything with that kind of an attitude? Anyway, I've gottenoff the
beaten track here. I'm still in James 1 and I got a whole message. So, how

many of you know what I mean? I had a lot of stuff come out of me before we
ever gotaround to the patience, and it wasn'tpretty.
James 5:7-9, says, "Be patient, therefore, brethren," and by the way, patience
is not waiting, patience is how you act while you're waiting. "Be patient,
therefore, brethren until the coming of the Lord," and then it gives an
example. Let's back up a minute. Be patient until the Lord comes back to get
you. Not patient for five minutes, but patience until God is done with us here
in the earth and he comes to bring us home. "Be patient, therefore, brethren,
until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit
of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late
rain".
Now, if you just think about a farmer, and that's why he gives examples, so
we'll think about them. So, we have something practicalto compare it to. And
so, he says, "Think about the farmer". First of all, he has to till up the ground,
get it softenough that it'll actually, receive the seed. And then, he has to plant
the seed. And then, he has to coverit up so he can't see what's going on with it.
How many of you feel like God's coveredthings up in your life, and you don't
have a clue what's going on? Well, you're in a goodplace. You say, "Don't tell
me that". Well, you are because Godknows what's going on. And, he wants
us, when we don't know, to be satisfiedto know the one who does know.
Joyce:Well, we need to wait on God with a hopeful expectancy. While it's not
easy, it canchange our whole outlook. I know you have questions, so Ginger's
here to ask them and I'm in prayer that I can answerthem.
Ginger: Well, I have questions from a whole lot of people who have been
waiting on God in different circumstances,but let's start with one that's
generalthat I think a lot of people can relate to. Kim from Frisco, Texas says,

"I've been praying and waiting for years for God to answermy prayers. So,
how do I remain trusting and faithful in the silence of unansweredprayer"?
Joyce:Well, you just do.
Ginger: You just gotta do it.
Joyce:I mean, it comes down to a choice, you know. Trusting God gives you
peace and it releasesjoy your life. And, making yourself miserable over
something you can't change anyway, really doesn't make any sense. And,
nobody can answerwhy some people wait longerthan others do, even for the
same thing. We just trust that God knows exactlywhat he's doing. And, I
would encourage her to not just look at, "The thing," that she feels that God
hasn't answered, but to encourage herselfby looking at and remembering all
the things that he has done for her.
Ginger: 'Cause it is difficult when there's something that you continue to
pray, and pray, and pray not to gethopeless. But, I love what you're saying
and it's the same with every situation our life, it's to hold on to those things
that are the reasonfor our hope, the things that we are seeing.
Joyce:I prayed for my dad's salvation for probably 30 years before he finally,
gave his life to the Lord. And we had, you know, timing we just have to leave
in God's hands, so.
Ginger: Yeah, alright, these are gonna be hard because a lot of these are
people who are really hurting. And, you know, our heart goes outto the
situations that they're in. This is Sandra. She says, "I've been divorced for five

years after being married for twenty-four. I struggle with loneliness allthe
time. I want so much to have a partner in life again, but I also struggle with
impatience. How can I deal with loneliness and try to be patient while I wait"?
Joyce:Well, I think that there's something that everybody and anybody can
do about loneliness and that is to go find something to do. You know, to go
help somebodyelse, I don't know, be a part of a team that visits nursing
homes, or be part of a team that goes to do prison ministry, or something.
And, I understand loneliness. I've experienced that in my life. You know, I
travel a lot, I'm by myself a lot, and because I travel a lot, I can't really be
involved in a lot of things that other people are involved in but it's part of
what God has calledme to do. And, I understand that she probably feels very
lonely, and I don't mean this to just sound like, you know, some kind of,
"Cutesy, little", religious answerbut God is with her all the time. And, the
more she thinks about that the more real it will become. One of our greatest
problems is we think about what's wrong insteadof what's right, or we think
about the problem all the time instead of the answer. And, five years, yes,
seems like a long time to wait, but it probably is very short compared to how
long some people have waited. And, if I were her, I would kinda leave it to
God what it is she's waiting for. She sounds like she kinda has her mind made
up, it's another man, and maybe Godhas something else he wants her to do.
Sometimes, you know, we're determined to get what we want but it's a lot
better to say, "God, what do you want"?
Ginger: Yeah, that's good. Alright, Karen says, "Being still before the Lord
on a constant basis is a challenge".I can relate to Karen. "It is easierto trust
God for things and issues out of my reach and control. The struggle I have is
with those things and issues within my reach. Why is this such a struggle"?
Joyce:Oh, well, because ofthe flesh. I mean, I get it. It's like, but see that's
what meekness is. The Bible encouragesus to be meek. And, to be meek

doesn't mean that you're weak or that you can't do something. The definition
of meekness is strength under control. So, it's one thing when you can't make
something happen and you're waiting on God to do what only he can do. But,
it is a different level of temptation when you could do something but you know
God doesn't want you to. And so, I relate because I'm a strong-willed, go-get-
em, do it, you know, there's nothing more frustrating to me than having a
problem with no answer. And so, I getit but you just have to trust that Godis
doing what he's doing for a reason. And, that testof not taking actionwhen
you could is very, very real. Just a quick example. I remember, probably 35
years ago, when I was just first beginning to travel and had some teachings on
radio. A business guy came to me and basicallysaid, "If you'll sign with us, I
can make you famous and it won't take very long at all". Well, I remember, I
was out in California and I remember laying across the bed and I knew God
didn't want me to do that. I knew that. But, boy, it was tempting to not have
to, "Waiton God," and do it my way. But, Abraham and Sarahmade that
mistake. Lots of people do. I've made it since then. I went on televisionbefore
God actually, put me on and that was a disaster. And so, it's not that I don't
understand but I do know that it is part of the breaking of that flesh that
needs to happen in our life. And, I would venture to saythat every person
listening has to deal with that.
Ginger: Oh yeah, there have been so many times that I have learned the hard
way that God's timing is so much better than my timing. It's the only waythat
it works. Elizabeth has this question, "I had a secondmiscarriage in less than
a year. I've been praying and believing God to keep this baby safe and healthy
only to lose it the first day of my secondtrimester. I feel like I've lostfaith and
that God is ignoring my prayers".
Joyce:Well, we don't understand things like that. I mean, I cannot tell her
why this is happening. But, on the other hand, I know womenthat it's
happened to four, and five, and six times and then they've had a healthy child.
I miscarried the first time I was pregnant. My daughter did, my daughter-in-

law did. And so, it's not an uncommon thing, but that doesn'tmake the pain
of it any less. And so, thank God that he comforts us and the Holy Spirit is the
comforterand so I really encourage herinstead of having so many questions
and being so frustrated about it, the only thing that ever delivers me from
frustration is trusting God. Just to say, "I don't understand it". You know,
when you know God could do something, I mean, it wouldn't even be anything
hard for him and he doesn't, I mean, you can't be left with anything other
than trusting God. And, who knows how God may use these experiences later
on, in her life. And so, I know sometimes we do these question and answer
things, I probably say, "TrustGod," all the time. But, the bottom line is, if we
just want to get realpractical, that is the answerto every problem.
Ginger: Well, and the thing that is difficult for me is, like you said, when you
know that God could do something and didn't, is to understand and then I get
to the point where my ways are not his ways. I am not going to understand.
So, is there a scripture or is there a key to trusting that you've held onto?
Joyce:Well, the Bible says, "Leannot to your own understanding, in all your
ways acknowledgehim and he will direct your path". Psalm37 is a go-to
Psalmfor me because it talks about not fretting when it seems like evil is
having its way but the meek, in the end, will inherit the earth. And, the meek
are those who do wait on God and wait on his timing. And, I mean, "Why," is
the question that will never stopbeing asked, andit's the question that gets
the fewestanswers. I mean, if you think about it when Jesus was on the cross,
he said, "My God, my God, why have you forsakenme"? But, God didn't
answer. And so, after that he said, "Into your hands I commit my spirit," and
so, he didn't getan answer, so whatwas he saying...
Ginger: "Here I am, anyway".

Joyce:"Here I am, your will be done," so that's... You know, there's a lot of
hard things in life. No one person is the only one who goes through difficult
things. I mean, there's all kinds of difficult things. And, I wish when these
questions came in that I could have an explicit answerfor eachone and say,
"Oh, do a-b-c and you'll get what you want, but I'm not ever gonna have that
answer. But, we can encourage. We canencouragepeople to hang on, you
know, quitting and giving up is just what the devil wants her to do, but that's
not what God wants her to do. And, "The meek in the end will inherit the
earth".
Ginger: And, that love and encouragementmeans a lot.
Joyce:Right, it does.
Ginger: Thank you.
Joyce:You're welcome.
Don't be surprised that you're going through stuff, God is growing you up.
You may not thank God for it now, but somedayI look back and I thank God
now for some of the hardest experiences that I had in my life. And, some of
the places where Godput me that were just, I mean, like, Christians doing
things and treating people in ways that just were not right and I didn't
understand why I was there. And, you know what? I didn't learn what to do, I
learned what not to do. And, sometimes, the only way you learn not to
mistreat other people is to be in a situation where you're being unfairly
mistreated.

Come on, and then, you know, you learn because you know what it feels like.
You just don't know what I've had to go through to be able to help you today.
I'm kidding, well not really, but... I'm so glad now that I went through every,
even my childhood. I can't even be sorry about that because it's all part of
who I am today. Job waited. Ruth and Esther waited. I've waited. I'm waiting
on some things now. How many of you are waiting on something? Okay. Well,
I can't do anything about the waitbut if you're really listening, I canhelp you
enjoy life while you're waiting. That's the key. I can help you enjoy life while
you're waiting. And boy, does that make the devil mad.
John 10:10, "The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy". But, Jesus said,
"I came," I love that. That just messes up the devil's whole plan. "I came".
And, we wouldn't even have to sayanything else. "I came that you might have
and enjoy your life, and have it in abundance to the full until it overflows".
Why don't you make the devil mad and start enjoying your life? And, I mean
learning how to enjoy ordinary, everyday life, just life. If we can just slow
down enough to actually recognize the presence of God, and maybe some of
you don't even know what I'm talking about, I don't know. But, there is an
actualpresence of God that you can, I'm not going to say feel but you can
discern it. You can sense it. You know it in your heart. And, God is with us all
the time, but it's only when we slow down enough to recognize that, that we
enjoy it.
And, when the Bible says, "Have joy in the Lord..." There's a joy, a deep
down spiritual something that comes to you, no matter how big your problems
are if you can spend time in the presence of Godand you know that he's
walking with you, it overrides everything else that's going on in your life
because you just know that he's gonna take care of it. Some way, some how,
some day when he's goodand ready, he's gonna take care of it. But, we're all
waiting on something but we just can't getGod to tell us when. "How much
longerGod, am I gonna have to put up with this? When are you going to
change my husband"?

I'm not talking about my husband, he's perfect. At leasthe thinks he is. Oh,
yeah. You know what? Dave is a specialguy. There's gonna be a sectionin
heaven that only he and Godlive in. I askedDave, 'cause I just like to talk to
people about this kinda stuff. It's like, I said, "What is your greatest
weakness"?And, he couldn't think of anything. What's with that? And it's
not that, I mean, he knows he has weaknessesbut Dave's just gotit all
working for him. Part of it's his personality but he just, he's not the leastbit
insecure. He could not care less what people think of him.
So, when I say, "What's your greatestweakness"?The reasonwhy he doesn't
know is because he don't focus on 'em. He doesn't focus on 'em because he
figures, "Well, God knows me, and he knows what's right and he knows
what's wrong, and I'm trusting him to take care of things". Eww, that's when
life gets sweet. Now,if you ask me, "Whatare your weaknesses"? Ican name
'em off. BecauseI've tried so hard to change. Come on, you getit? I've tried,
and tried, "God what do you want me to do"? As if we think, us doing
something is gonna change it all. And, you know what the answeris? He
wants us to believe him, to trust him, to wait on him with a goodattitude.
"Yeah, but what does he want me to do"? We can't getoff of the doing. We're
not human doings, we're human beings. Oh, my gosh.
Acts 1:6-7, "So when they had come together, they askedhim, 'Lord, will you
at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?'and he saidto them, 'it is not for
you to know times or seasons thatthe father has fixed by his own authority'".
Can you believe that? There's some things that you're just not supposedto
know. Yoo-hoo... You don't have to know everything. Come on, tell somebody
next to you, "You don't have to know everything". Well, that don't take that
long to say that. See, how you are? I gave you just a little bit of liberty and,
you all just gotlost doing your own thing.

Now, I gotta try to get you back. Alright, Luke chapter 18 verse 1, "And he
told them a parable to the effectthat they ought always to pray and not to lose
heart. He said, 'in a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor
respectedman. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him
and saying, 'Give me justice againstmy adversary'. And for a while he
refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor
respectman, yet because this widow keeps bothering me...'"
Come on, I mean, I've told God I am not gonna shut up. And, I'm gonna keep
at this until I see change. LetGod know that you're not giving up. That's not
being rude. "'And she kept coming to him saying, 'Give me justice,'and for a
while he refused, but afterwardhe saidto himself, 'Though I neither fear God
nor respectman, because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her
justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming'. And the
Lord said, 'Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give
justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over
them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, whenthe
son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?'"
Come on, that's better than that. I mean, that's saying so much. Because you
know what he's saying? "You just make sure that you stay in faith, that you
keepbelieving, and let me work". As long as you're believing, God is working.
And, I'll tell you what we need to be staying more of, and I've been doing this
for a goodnumber of years and it's really, really helpful, when I'm waiting on
something and then I start to think about how long it's been, you know, my
mind starts to go negative, I sayout loud, "Godis working. God is working".
And, it helps me because he is.
You know, when you geta breakthrough, God didn't start just working on
that a secondbefore you gotit. God's working in your life right now. He's
heard your prayers. He's working in your situation. But, especially, when

you've prayed prayers for other people, you have no control over how long it
takes them to listen to God. Hebrews 11 verse 1, and verse 6. "Now faith is the
assurance ofthings hoped for," but remember, what is hope? It's a positive
expectationthat something goodis going to happen to me. So, "Faith is the
assurance ofthings hoped for, the conviction of things not seen".
Faith is for when you don't see anything, when it doesn'tfeel good, when you
have questions that you're not getting answers to. And, faith isn't a matter of
the heart. Faith canbelieve that God is working and that something goodis
going to happen when everything around them looks the exactopposite.
Maybe we need to just cut loose and have some instruction for a few weekson
just getting back to simple faith. "I believe God. I know it doesn'tmake any
sense, but I believe God. I believe God's working. Something goodis going to
happen to me. This is going to change because I'm gonna keepbothering God
until he does something".
Come on, I mean that, Luke 18, just look at the way that it's written, and the
thing is about prayer. And, it appears to me that God is telling us to bother
him. "Go ahead, just keepit up". He said, "If an unjust judge finally, gave
that woman what she wanted," he didn't fear God, he didn't respectman, he
was wickedand unjust, but just because she refusedto shut up. Come on, did
any of you womenever get your way with your husband just because you
refused to shut up. Whoo, I have. Come on, now. Well, you get it. And, he
says, "WhenI come back, will I find faith"?
I don't know, maybe some of you just needed to come today just to be
reminded to stir your faith up again. Sure, you're tired. You're weary. You
work hard, and you've believed God, and you been waiting what seems like
forever for that kid to change, or for your finances to change, or for you to
change, or whatever. But, I'm here to tell you, I've been there, done that, still
go through it in different seasons atdifferent times. And, I am telling you, by

Jesus Was Never in a Hurry: How His Slow and Steady Pace Can Help Us Live

Jesus Was Never in a Hurry: How His Slow and Steady Pace Can Help Us Live

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