Daily Affirmations - Day 5 - Be Strong, Take Courage, Wait - Standing Still and Moving Forward
- Alisa B.
- May 7
- 2 min read
Day 5: Standing still and moving forward
So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?” (Joshua 18:3).
A great deal is said in the Bible about waiting for God. The lesson cannot be too strongly drilled. We easily grow impatient of God’s delays. Much of our trouble in life comes out of our restless, sometimes reckless, haste.
We cannot wait for the fruit to ripen, but insist on plucking it while it is green and unwholesome. We cannot wait for the story to be written out chapter by chapter; but, in our eagerness to know how it will end, we want to omit the links of its development, and hurry on to the close. We cannot wait until the painting is completed, but insist on seeing the unfinished canvas, and then criticize it as if the artist’s work were done.
We cannot wait for the answer to our prayers, although the things we ask for may require
long years in their preparation for us. We are exhorted to walk with God; but ofttimes God walks very slowly, and we do not care to linger with Him. We are very eager to get forward, and cannot wait. Thus the lesson of waiting for God is always an important one.
But there is another side of the lesson. God often waits for us. We fail many times to receive the blessing He has ready for us because we do not go forward with Him. While we miss much good through not waiting for God, we also miss much through over-waiting. There are times when our strength is to stand still, but there also are times when we are to go forward with firm step.
There are many divine promises which are conditioned upon the beginning of some action on our part. When we begin to obey, God will begin to bless us; and as we continue in our obedience, His blessing will continue to be given to us.
~ James R. Miller ~ Overwaiting for God
O Father, You are our Shepherd, the One who guides [us] along the right paths for Your name's sake (Psalm 23:3). Lead us.
Give us the wisdom to know when to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, and when to stop crying out and move on (Exodus 14:13-15). Give us the trust to Be still and know that You are God (Psalm 46:10), and the courage in this knowledge to take possession of all You have promised.
You are the God of the cloud and the fire. Help us to live in the God-directed wisdom of standing still and yet moving forward (Numbers 9:17-23).
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