2 Peter 3:8-9

“Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years; a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with His promises as some measure lateness. He is restraining Himself on account of you - holding back the End because He doesn’t want any one lost! He’s giving every one space and time to change.”

Warning – this will be long.

And – it’s “late”!

I woke up this morning and realized it was my turn to do the PoG blog. So, I hurriedly read the passage – thought of something I might write, and worried that if I didn’t hurry up and write it – it would be really LATE.

I had not spent any time yet with God this morning. Should I skip my morning time and do the Blog first? Should I do my morning time with God and do the blog LATER!?

I opted for not skipping time with God – and oh, my – am I so glad. God took every scripture, every thought, and this PoG Blog “thing” I had to do and transformed it into a Holy Time with Him.

Ever since Jordan preached a few weeks ago, I have been un-learning old thought patterns. He helped me to look at “wrestling with God” in a new way – that wrestling is not bad. Time spent wrestling with God is a beautiful thing, as He molds and shapes us.

Then I un-learned old thoughts about trials.  That trials are not bad things either.  Trials will never go away – it is a part of our life here on earth.  So, Dawn, stop being shocked when trials happen – and stop seeing them as a bad thing.

Then this week, un-learning my thoughts about God being slow, or late.  First of all, how dare I question the God of the universe and His timing?  God isn’t late with His promises as some measure lateness. This doesn’t say God isn’t late answering my prayer the way I want Him too!  No, it says He isn’t late with His PROMISES – which are His presence, His love, doing what is best for me, etc. An image of a 2 year-old on the floor having a temper-tantrum pops in my head – not getting her way – getting what she wants – right now!   Perhaps my new mind should think, “God isn’t late – I am just too early!”

My sister had a stroke a few years ago, and I went to help her.  Many obstacles occurred – but the one that pops in my mind relating to this thought of “God being late” involved getting her out of Beaumont and into Round Rock where she could recover closer to my mom and I.  Days passed trying to come up with any kind of plan to hire an Ambulance service – over $3,000 dollars.  Nothing was working.  Someone said, “why don’t you just drive her?”  “Impossible!  That's ridiculous!,  I thought.  She has lost the use of her arm and both legs.  What if she has an accident?  What if she falls over in the back of the van and I cannot move her?  What if she has another stroke?" 

At the same time, we were searching for a facility near my home that would be the best chance for her to recover.  Days passed.  No answers.  My morning time with God – and very helpful advice from my husband kept saying, “God will give you what you need for today – and just for today."  So if the facility isn’t working out today – then it’s not the right time.  If the Ambulance isn’t working out for today – then it’s not the right time.  I remember clinging to these thoughts and trying to trust  God and His timing.

Then one day – after many days of “God being so slow”  - all of a sudden the phone rings – the facility has space for her!  "Out of the blue"  (LOL) I brilliantly came up with the idea – “why don’t I just drive her myself?  What’s the worst that can happen?  Another stroke?  I’ll just call 911 or drive to another hospital!”   Within hours, we are on the road – and in God’s timing – every detail “fell” into place.  God isn’t late with His promises as some measure lateness.  No, every detail did not just "fall" into place.  God had been working all the time - putting all the pieces together - He wasn't late getting us out of there - I was just too early - trying to hurry Him up!

I must share with you the Scriptures God gave to me this morning – with all Glory to HIM. Just read how He enters into this transformation of our minds regarding His timing – and to stop thinking that He is “late”!

Psalm 130:5-5 “I pray to God – my life a prayer – and wait for what He will say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord. Waiting and watching ‘till morning. Waiting and watching ‘till morning.”

Romans 12:1-2 “So, here’s what I want you to do – God helping you. Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and wandering-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the Best thing you can do for Him.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 “We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies – tearing down barriers erected against the Truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ – our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”

My old ways of thinking that "wrestling with God" is a bad thing; that "trials" are bad things; and that "God’s timing" is a bad thing are very dangerous.  The devil can use these thoughts to raise doubt about God’s love for me.  “Where is your God, now?  Why isn’t He finding a way for you to get your sister home?  Maybe He doesn’t care?  Maybe He is mad at you…..”   Just look at how those old thoughts create obstacles between us and our Loving, Wonderful God!

I need to use my powerful God-tools to smash these warped philosophies; to fit every loose thought and emotion and impulse of that two-year-old temper tantrum reacting to my disgruntlement of  God’s timing; and let God build me into maturity!

So, like I said – this was very long.  And very LATE.  But was it late?  Or was it God’s perfect timing for me today?

“Father, please forgive me for all the times I have been mad at You for your timing.  Thank You for Your Word today regarding lateness.  Thank You for transforming my old philosophies lately regarding wrestling with You, trials, and Your perfect timing.  I don’t want to remain a two-year-old.  Help me to mature into the life You want for me. Help me to use the tools You have given me against satan and his attempts to put obstacles between You and me.  I love You.  I love wrestling with You.  I love learning new things about You and trials.  And I trust YOUR perfect timing.   Amen”