God Is Never in a Hurry

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Life's Healing Choices

God Is Never in a Hurry By Rick Warren — Jun 28, 2015 “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed.” (James 1:4 MSG) Be patient with God and with yourself. One of life’s frustrations is that God’s timetable is rarely the same as ours. We are often in a hurry when God isn’t. You may feel frustrated with the seemingly slow progress you’re making in life. Remember that God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time. He will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity. The Bible is filled with examples of how God uses a long process to develop character, especially in leaders. He took 80 years to prepare Moses, including 40 in the wilderness. For 14,600 days Moses kept waiting and wondering, “Is it time yet?” But God kept saying, “Not yet.” Contrary to popular book titles, there are no “Easy Steps to Maturity” or “Secrets of Instant Sainthood.” When God wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years, but when he wants to make a mushroom, he does it overnight. Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering. Be patient with the process. James advised, “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed” (James 1:4 MSG). Don’t get discouraged. When Habakkuk became depressed because he didn’t think God was acting quickly enough, God had this to say: “These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Habakkuk 2:3 TLB) Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. Years ago people wore a popular button with the letters PBPGINFWMY. It stood for “Please Be Patient. God Is Not Finished With Me Yet.” God isn’t finished with you, either, so keep on moving forward. Even the snail reached the ark by persevering! PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What are some lessons you have learned when God has delayed something in your life? What do you think God wants you to do when you get discouraged with his timing? How can you show patience with others like God is patient with you? How can you encourage people today in their spiritual growth? Our Gift: Life's Healing Choices Study Kit Can you think of a time in your life when you have been hurt by someone? How about when you hurt someone else? Or, a time when you hurt yourself? These moments happen to us all. Some of our deepest pains and anxieties come from refusing to let God heal us. Everybody needs healing from some sort of hurt, hang-up, or habit. That’s why Pastor Rick created the Life’s Healing Choices Study Kit to take you through the eight healing choices Jesus taught in the Beatitudes. The DVD and Study Guide include these eight- life changing sessions taught by Rick Warren. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren Life's Healing Choices teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: The Reality Choice Message 2: ​The Hope You Need For Change Message 3: ​Letting Go and Letting God Message 4: ​The Housecleaning Choice Message 5: ​The Transformation Choice Message 6: The Relationship Choice Message 7: The Growth Choice Message 8: The Sharing Choice PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2015 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe