NO BETTER TIME THAN THE PRESENT

Read Genesis Chapters 17-21

Key Verse: Genesis 19:16
“When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.”

Have you ever put something off for a day or two? I know that I have been guilty of that on so many occasions. Sometimes it just seems easier to say “I’ll get to it tomorrow”. Procrastination and hesitation don’t just come into play when the task is something we do not enjoy. Sure we may put off yard work, the laundry, or that book report that’s due next week, but I have been guilty off putting off things that I enjoy as well. I have been saying for months now that I am going to start playing golf again. However, as of this moment my golf clubs are still sitting in my garage collecting dust.

In Genesis 19, the story of Lot gives us a great portrayal of hesitation that almost ended fatally. The instructions of God’s messengers could not have been more clear. “The city will be destroyed and all who stay will perish.” But even that powerful word from God didn’t move Lot from complacency. Why would Lot hesitate? Was his heart fixed upon his home in Sodom? Was he persuaded by the influence of his family? Did he really not believe? Whatever the reason may have been, it is clear that even though God had visited Lot, he still was unsure and hesitant.

The bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that “there is a time for everything, a season for every activity”. God gives us specific seasons in our lives. I have personally experienced those distinct seasons. I have lived through seasons of increased work in the Kingdom as well as seasons of rest and contemplation. I have experienced seasons of great increase as well as seasons of sacrifice. The key is that God orders the seasons as well as their durations. We can not operate outside of God’s timing and avoid paying a price. I learned this lesson in a painful way some years back. My wife and I had been praying about a move from our home in Indiana to Florida. We both believed that God was directing us to make this move. Shortly thereafter, an opportunity arose. It was the sort of opportunity in which everything just seemed to align perfectly. Of course, this move would mean leaving our family and everything we had ever known. It was the type of decision that put a lump in your throat. Still, we both believed that God had orchestrated the scenario. In the end, however, we decided not to go. The pressure of the change got the best of us. Eighteen months later, we finally made the move and God has blessed us in many ways. I am so thankful that we finally took the step that God had been moving us toward. So, it all worked out, right? Well, here’s the price we paid for hesitation. The first time the opportunity arose, the big boom in the housing market in Central Florida had not happened. When we finally moved, it was in full force. We paid double for our home than we would have paid just 2 years earlier. Although, God has been faithful and good, I still feel the pain of my procrastination once a month when the mortgage check is written.

So where do you find God leading you today? Has he called you into ministry, a new job, a new city? Always trust that God not only knows what is best, but He knows when is best. Trust God enough to not miss His perfect timing for your life. God’s plans are the best plans for ultimate blessing. If God speaks into your heart, don’t be afraid. Trust him and follow his lead. He knows the events of tomorrow. That may be why He is calling today.