“If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.”
Ecclesiastes 11:4 (TLB)
What are you waiting for? Maybe God’s given you a dream, but circumstances, fears or worries have you in a stall. You’re stuck and can’t seem to move forward waiting for a better time or some other conditions to fall into place first. While there is wisdom in waiting on God, it is disobedience to fail to act when He says, “Go for it!” How many opportunities have passed you by because you didn’t act? Sometimes I have to remind myself of Ecclesiastes 11:4. I love the way the Living Bible paraphrases it when it says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.” So, let me ask you again, What are you waiting for? Have you considered that perhaps, God is just waiting on you to step out in faith? The conditions will never be perfect! Stop wasting God’s time and yours! Faith is spelled R.I.S.K. But the greater risk is not stepping out in faith at all, for without faith, the Bible says, it is impossible to please God!
Let’s go back to Israel for an example. When Jeremiah wrote them a prophetic letter in Jeremiah chapter 29, he was letting them in on what God had planned for their future. They were living in exile to an enemy in the foreign land of Babylon. The future didn’t look good. False prophets were sending mixed messages that this was the end of their nation, while others suggested things would turn around soon and that they would go home. They were stuck and didn’t know what to do or who to believe, so they had stopped living and were just existing. In his letter, Jeremiah gives them - and us - wise insight on living in the now even when conditions seemed unfavorable. He said, “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.’” Jeremiah 29:4-6 (NIV)
God’s message to His people was that they would be there for some time. It would be a time of discipline and in verse 10, he said it would last for 70 years. But it wasn’t the end. God was saying, “Don’t let your fears about the future keep you from living in the present.”
What about you? Fear and worry about the future can’t control it. This is where trust comes into play. We trust the God who is already in our future so we can live in the now with peace and confidence. The problem with Israel is that they wanted their way in their time, not God’s way in His time. We often want the same. As a result, we fail to enjoy the moment. All we have is now. Like Jeremiah to Israel, Jesus told us that there would be trouble and sorrow in this world. This isn’t heaven. But He didn’t tell us this to instill fear. In fact, He said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” In other words, don’t be surprised when troubles come, and don’t be alarmed by them. Put your trust today in God, and don’t let fears about the future keep you from living in the present. You don’t have to wait for perfect conditions to get started. I love the way the Living Bible paraphrases Christ’s words in Matthew 6:34, “So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time.”
To read this devotional online or catch up on past ones, visit kerryshook.org/blog.
As you continue your quiet time, prayer is a powerful way to stay connected to God and the family of Christ. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board offers a simple space to lift others in prayer and let them know you are standing with them. You can also share your own request and receive prayer support whenever you need it.
Another way to grow in your faith is through giving. Your gift helps bring the hope of Jesus to people in need through biblical teaching, encouragement, and outreach. To join the mission, click here: Help Share the Hope of Jesus.
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