Rejoicing on the Long Route

How often do we cry out to God to bless us and give us all that we desire and yet miss all the provisions of what we need that He has lavished on us? After alll that He has promised us through His word, do we still not think it is enough? So often we miss or underappreciate the blessings we do have because we are so focused on the trial. It seems to be in our nature to want instant answers and complete freedom and provisions. We want it all, and we want it now. In truth; however, we often cannot handle is all and definitely not all at once. Sometimes the blessing needs to be a process. Sometimes our answers need to unfold in measured steps.

We often are not prepared for everything we ask for. I often think I am, but God knows I could not handle it. He is a good shepherd of our souls. He knows what lies ahead and exactly what it will take to get us there. We need to learn to rejoice on the long route. I know that instantly receiving what we ask for always sounds like the better plan to us, but the journey cannot be avoided. A race cannot be won without first preparation and many hours of training. It is the journey that strengthens us and builds us. It refines us and prepares us for the victory as well as the next obstacle in our lives. We could instantly zoom to the end, but we would deny ourselves the tools God teaches us to use in the waiting and the trial. Often, that isn’t the answer we want to hear when we cry out to the Lord. We want victory in the moment of weakness. We want success in the unprepared instant. Such a victory cannot last. Such a blessing would be discovered a curse. Many an over-zealous athlete has learned the truth of this in an unfortunate way. Muscles that are not prepared and slowly strengthened over time tear, twist, and stretch farther than they are meant to. Proper accomplishment comes at a measured pace.

If God is taking you along the long route, rejoice. Know that He is as much preparing you for your blessing as He is preparing the blessing for you. Impatience can make a blessing into a curse. Enjoy the journey and trust your Shepherd. (Written by Keegan Harkins.)