Jul
28
Do It Now
Filed Under Devotional
Any man who has had a long-term relationship with a woman will understand that timing is critical. For example, there’s a difference between buying your girl flowers and buying her flowers one day after she’s complained, “You never buy me flowers.” There’s a difference between offering to take her out for dessert and offering to take her out for dessert to cheer her up when she thinks she’s too fat. The same action can get radically different responses if you’re a little late.
There’s a great example of this when the Israelites first hear about the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve men sent to investigate come back complaining that the people are too strong and the armies will overwhelm them. The Israelites start to whine about how it would have been better to die in Egypt. God doesn’t like the response and tells Moses that the generation that left Egypt has to die before the nation can enter the Promised Land. God has put them on a forty year timeout. And, He takes care of the ten men in short order:
“So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it- these men responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.
When Moses reported this [the forty years of exile] to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. Early the next morning they went up to the high hill country. “We have sinned,” they said. “We will go up to the place the Lord promised.” ” Numbers 14:36-38
So, they failed to trust God and rebelled. Then when God told them the consequences, they panicked and tried to follow through with the original command. This is like the little boy suddenly wanting to obey after hearing his punishment for disobedience. The problem, of course, is that it’s too late. At this point, following through is actually another act of disobedience.
“But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”
Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.” Numbers 14:41-45
So, they went from disobeying God’s original command to following it too late, which was also disobedience. Notice the key word “presumption”. Never a good thing to do with God. They were on the verge of taking the Promised Land and, instead, they have forty years to wander and have just lost a battle.
Timing is everything. If God gives direction, do it now. If God leads, follow now. If God says, “Never mind, it’s too late,” don’t force the issue. You don’t get to decide what God wants you to do. You don’t get to decide when, either.
Do it now.