“Wait!” and “Walk!”

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Hubert Harriman, President
October-December 2015

Have you ever taken little children to something that has piqued their excitement? In their desire to get to their promised goal, they can get out of control at the speed of light. Once you’ve lost control, everything goes crazy. They start running here and there, way ahead of you and your voice, totally oblivious to the two most important words to ever come out of your mouth: “Wait!” and “Walk!” Children can be a danger to themselves and to everything around them when they do not listen to someone in charge.

Probably one of the most popular promises in God’s Word today is Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV): “For I know the plans I have for you…to prosper you…to give you a future.…” That piques our excitement, and we go after it with wild determination. Sadly, all too many people have already determined what this verse means for their lives. Rather than waiting on the Lord and walking with Him, they circumvent the Master plan. No wonder God wraps His promises with the restraint of “wait” and the discipline of “walk.” Do you know how difficult this is to anyone driven by their own agenda? But unless we know the work of God’s “wait” in our hearts and the wonder of God’s “walk” in our lives, we will forever be driven by our own agenda. We are a danger to ourselves and the work of God.

The amazing beauty of waiting and walking in harmony with God’s heart is the sudden moment of manifestation of God’s plan that always comes. It will take your breath away every time, and it’s always the best thing that ever happened.

A word in the stories of Scripture that has always given me hope in the long waits of life is the word “suddenly.” Walk with this word through the Bible and you’ll quickly learn that God has never removed Himself from time and space. There are occasions when He pounces on it like a lion—suddenly—and out of nowhere His plan is in full view and full play. As much as this is true in the political and cosmic sense, this is also true in the personal sense. He is alert, active, and on the move for us. How I thank God for the “suddenlys” that gave new, much-needed direction to my life. I have always been glad that He put the “wait” and the “walk” in my relationship with Him, allowing His ways to be known. These times became the best thing that ever happened to me.

In this issue, we challenge you to know the plans God has for you, but to first seek His kingdom and submit to His righteousness. Read the stories and let God speak to you as to His place and purpose in your life. Wait! Walk! Who knows where it will take you? Suffice it to say, the best thing that can ever happen to any of us is to die to ourselves—to our own agenda. When it’s finally and truly about seeking His kingdom and His righteousness—wherever that may take us—the fruit is good, and the joys are eternal.

ACT: Do you know someone who is in a “wait” and “walk” period in their life and may need some encouragement? Share this issue with them for free at www.wgm.org/call.