Devotions
Walk at God’s pace
In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. – Exodus 40:36-37 (NIV)
The Lesson of
the Key
In the apartment building where we live, there is
underground parking. To keep tenants’ vehicles secure, everyone needs access to enter the building. When I drop off my
children, they usually jump out of the car quickly and head straight toward the elevator. I must admit that I am often a slow walker, so they easily get
ahead of me and leave me behind.
Unfortunately
for them, I am the only one with the key to the underground parking door. So
even when they are in a hurry, they always end up waiting for me at the door
that leads to the elevator. Sometimes I tease them and say, “You have to put up
with my slowness. Walking faster than me is useless because I hold the key.”
When God Seems Slow
Although I
am not a fast walker, I know how challenging it can be to walk with someone who
moves slowly, whether on a street, in a business setting, or during a project
with deadlines and clear deliverables. Impatience can rise quickly. And when
impatience takes over, stress, anger, and intolerance often follow.
Sadly, our
impatience is not directed only toward other people. We can also become
impatient with God. We think He is slow, that He is not acting fast enough,
that He is taking unnecessary time, or that He should intervene sooner. That
way of thinking affects our lives, and before long, anxiety begins to take
over.
But Peter
reminds us, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand
slowness” (2 Peter 3:9, NIV). That phrase matters: “as some understand
slowness.” We do not fully understand what is happening in the spiritual realm
or in the mind of God, so we sometimes mistake His timing for delay. I used to
think God was slow to act. But the Holy Spirit has taught me a way to quiet my
mind. Whenever I feel agitated by God’s “slowness,” I remind myself, “Even if
God explained everything to you, you would not fully understand.”
Do Not Move Ahead of God
When we
believe God is moving too slowly, stress can set in. We become agitated because
nothing seems to be happening. That is often when we decide to move ahead of
God, speed up the process, and create our own solutions.
That is
what happened to Sarah when she grew tired of waiting for the promised son and
advised Abraham to have a child with Hagar. It also happened to Saul when he
waited for Samuel, and the prophet seemed nowhere near. Yet under Moses’
leadership, the children of Israel did something right: they did not set out
when God did not set out. When God stopped, they stopped. When He moved, they
moved.
They
understood that it was useless to go ahead of God, because only God knew the
way. Only He held the key that would lead them into the promised land.
Patience Is Not Idleness
Impatience is part of human nature.
Sometimes it may feel understandable, but it is still a vice. Some people say impatience is a virtue because it pushes us to act, but that is not true. Impatience should not be confused with action, and patience should not be confused with sitting
idle.
David was
not idle while he waited for God to make him king. He was learning leadership,
sharpening his military skills, and writing psalms. His patience helped him
resist, twice, the pressure from his men to kill Saul and force his own way
forward. The disciples were not idle as they waited for the Holy Spirit; they
prayed and chose someone to fill the place left by Judas.
No matter the reason, nothing good comes from impatient behaviour, especially when we are pursuing great things in the kingdom of God. We must learn to walk at God’s pace. However fast we may want to go, and however quickly we may want things to happen, there will come a point when we cannot move forward until God opens the door.
Posted : Sep 28, 2026