Ezekiel 3:16 At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me.

This is hardly the only Biblical example, but God doesn’t always speak quickly or soon. Here, Ezekiel waited a week, but others had to wait longer. Our flesh doesn’t like that sort of thing at all! We want what we want, and we want it now! It is an established principle in psychology that the ability to deal with delayed gratification is a major indicator of maturity. That is to say, most human beings are pretty immature, and society as a whole is becoming less mature! However, God desires that we be mature. (James 1:4) That’s a major reason why He allows, and sometimes causes, delays of all sorts, which is exactly what James was talking about. God gives us what is best for us, rather than necessarily what we think we want. This is of course an important principle of good parenting. Parents who always give their children what they demand, when they demand it, are setting them up for disaster. We all know people who are so self-centered and demanding that they make life miserable for themselves and those around them. However, we often fail to recognize when we ourselves tend that way, and wonder why we aren’t happy! Hearing from God is, of course, a very good thing, and Ezekiel was certainly not wrong to desire it. However, God waited a week, and Ezekiel grew in trust and obedience as a result.

You might think that at 64, having been a Christian for 57 years, I would be perfectly mature. I wish! I have become quite an expert in justifying why I need something right now, but that’s not the same as maturity. Actually, I’m in the middle of a lesson in that very thing. I’ll be leaving on a business trip early Monday morning, and I need a lightweight computer to take with me. Various circumstances in choosing what to get and availability made it so that I didn’t place my order until Sunday evening. I was in total shock when, after my credit card information had been cleared, the girl on the line said, “Your computer will be shipped on Friday.” Sunday deliveries aren’t a problem in Japan, but as a pastor, I have little free time on Sundays. I expressed my dismay, pretty strongly (though I don’t think I was rude) and the girl said she would see what she could do. Monday I got a call saying that shipping on Thursday should be possible, which should get it to me by Saturday. That’s still tight, but doable. In all of this, I went into an inner turmoil that was not good for anyone. I am not the mature Christian I would like to be! I find that I can largely trust God to provide what I need, but I still have trouble with trusting Him fully with the timing. I need to learn better how to wait on Him. I have known and sung “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31) for many years, but I certainly don’t do it perfectly! (Most English translations use “wait” there, but the NIV uses “hope.” Japanese uses an expression that means “wait in hope” that captures it perfectly.) This is simply a case of learning better how to apply the truth I know, and not deceive myself. (James 1:22)

Father, thank You for the training You put me through, even when it’s not much fun at the time. Help me walk in the maturity You desire for me, so that I will be able to feed and lead Your sheep indeed, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!