We've all been there: Had plans to go somewhere and then all of a sudden, something came up. An unexpected detour took you off your scheduled route, and you ended up arriving later than you planned. What if your late arrival was God's way of protecting you? In day ten of Todd Galberth's "Decrease" devotional, he explained "The Inconvenience of Convenience."
Todd Galberth - "Decrease" devotional / Todd Galberth online store |
The premise of today's lesson was the importance of allowing God to move you outside of your comfort zone. In this section, Todd emphasized that often, great things are birthed out of uncomfortable situations. As I was reading, God gave me a word that tied in more directly with yesterday's lesson on vision: If you want your vision to match His vision for your life, you have to be specific when you ask Him for guidance. Go beyond "how," "where," and "why" and ask "what time?" Todd is right, greatness usually requires us to venture outside of what we know, but I'd like to add on a word of caution: If you feel like God is calling you to go somewhere or do something new, get excited, but be careful. Your destination might be right, but the timing could be wrong.
Yesterday I said that sometimes we feel like we're following God blindly. Well, if you can't see where you're going, you also won't be able to see what obstacles lie ahead. The good news is, the God you're following is omnipotent. If He can see where He's taking you, He can also see what you'll be up against along the way. The situation you thought was an inconvenient detour, the thing you're complaining about having to go out of your way for, could be God's hand of protection in disguise. There's a reason He's making you wait. Remember, He promised you the "what." He didn't specify the "when."
When God begins preparing you for a change of direction, make sure you use discernment. Sometimes He takes us out of our comfort zone twice: If He allows us to endure an uncomfortable, longer detour now, we won't be surprised when He takes us out of our comfort zone again as we get closer to our destiny. Don't let the detour of your "right now" make you feel like you have to dive into a new thing head first. Just because you don't jump immediately doesn't mean you'll miss the promise. Delayed doesn't mean denied. Don't make life-changing decisions on impulse. Submitting to God's will means doing what He tells you to do when He tells you to do it. If you're sincerely praying "God, 'I Want To Be Used By You'" (today's "Medicine Music" by Deluge Band), you have to give yourself time to really hear His voice. Sometimes the scenic route is necessary.
Day 10 takeaway: When God tells us where to go, we have two choices: We can either go right away without knowing how much road work lies ahead, or wait until God gives us the signal that he's finished paving the way. I know which option I'm choosing. Less of me, more of He.
Wait on the Lord
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