FAST AND SLOW

I am always struck by how much God can do in 24 hours.  On Day 6 of creation week God made the animals.   Then he made Adam and Adam named the animals (to the scoffers, please note that there were far fewer variations of animals than there are today - there were kinds from which variations came).  Then he put Adam to sleep and created woman.  ALL in 24 hours!  I am fond of saying God did not want man to spend even one night alone without a woman and that is why he made woman without delay!   Actually the being fruitful and multiplying command is the one command of God which is almost universally kept - though in nations afflicted with atheistic thought,  the birthrate is sinking like a stone, so even a pleasurable commandment is not being kept now in some cases.

In church today, the speaker noted how God can move fast.  God birthed in him the idea of competing in a marathon with only two weeks to go, and he was able to finish the grueling race.

I know from experience that God can do a massive download of information almost instantly.  I have gotten entire messages in seconds.  God is far faster than any T-1 connection.  In fact, one day he told me that is has an INFINITE amount of things to tell me - all I have to do is take the time to listen.  I really try to do that, though I know he has FAR MORE to tell me.

The same principle works creatively.  God is a great architect and that is my profession when I am not preaching or writing about something. He sometimes gives me a design in my head almost instantaneously and when he does, that is great.   HOWEVER, sometimes he takes more of the crockpot approach - he takes his time.  The process is just as valuable.

I know God said in 1994 I would be moving, but he did not show us the house until 1997.  Some other promises God has made have yet to be fulfilled.  Abraham was promised a child and it took Y-E-A-R-S to come to pass.   What may be even more amazing to you is that after Isaac was born, Abraham had no more kids for another 37 years or so - after Isaac married Rebekah, which was an even longer period than his original wait!  Then Sarah died and he married Katurah, had six kids with her and more kids with concubines.  Whew!

The point to all this that God can change my life with ONE phone call or ONE email, or ONE prophecy.  He has done it many times.  ONE phone call meant a job worth over $400k.  ONE date led me on the marriage path with my wife- we celebrate 40 years in October, DV.   Yet, sometimes he likes to take his time.  We cannot count that as men track slowness, but simply must persist in faith that GOD is in as much control in those situations as in the instant breakthroughs.

Two examples:

The first, a true story -
A lady married a man who turned out to be an alcoholic.   He was a functional alcoholic - he worked every day and provided a roof over her head, but the house was a wreck with weeds in the yard and he spent much needed funds on drink.   She witnessed to him and prayed with hi for 59 years of marriage. He became ill and went to the hospital never to return.  WHile there someone came by and witnesses to him and he accepted Christ into his life.  He died within two weeks.  I asked the widow whether knowing all she knew, if she would have married the man if she could go back in time.   To my amazement, she said a strong "Yes!".   She believed that without her 59 years of witness, he would never have been over to the gospel and gotten saved.

The second, what we should do -
We should have new faith that when a person comes to Christ, they are a new creature - old things have passed away, behold ALL THINGS have become new.   We should expect that the same God who created the entire world in only six 24-hour days can change a person  in the twinkling of an eye.   After all, many Christians believe that he will change the entire church at a "rapture" in the twinkling of an eye.  How can you believe that without believing in the power of God in the here and now?  I believe we should not expect long, drawn-out odyssey's with zillions of trips to the altar.   When people are sick and hurting, we should pray in authority for their healing and deliverance.  When people are broke, we need to believe that God can intervene quickly, and ourselves be the instrument of deliverance for them if we are able.

We must be patient if God takes the scenic route, but encouraged by the creation, by the miracles of Jesus, and by the price for salvation of all mankind taking place in a moment at the resurrection.  Our God is sometimes blindingly fast and sometimes excruciatingly slow, but our God is a faithful God who does all things well.