Now Coach, Now?

God’s time is as important as God’s promise and God’s will?

A memory floats up from the cloudy nether regions of my mind. It’s a cartoon sports event I saw on television—football I think.

There’s this little guy on the team who is smaller, slower and obviously less talented than everyone. But, he BADLY wants to play ! Evidently, the coach told him he’d try to get him in the game. As the game unfolds the little guy hits up the coach every few minutes.

“Now, coach, now, now?”

“Sit down, kid. Not yet.”

A few minutes later he’s at the preoccupied coach’s elbow as the massive players crash together on the field. “Now, coach, now? Can I go in now?”

“Not now! Sit down!”

So, he drags his feet as he sulks back to the bench.

The scene repeats itself all through the game until a critical point arrives and for some reason the coach is forced to put the little guy in.

“Now!”

Unfortunately I don’t remember what happened after that.

You and I, Too

We’re all like the little guy aren’t we? When mama tells her kids they are going to get ice cream later that day, all day long she hears,

“Now, mama, now?” When the family chugs along in the trusty minvan heading for their vacation spot,  for a thousand miles it’s, “Now, dad, now?”

And when God makes us a promise as He’s done thousands of times in the Bible we’re constantly saying, “Now, God, now?” I want you to hang onto your seat because you’re I’m going to tell you something that may surprise you: Timing is as important as promise in God’s way of doing things.

“As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.” (Acts 7:17)

When God reveals his will to us—are you listening Joseph and David?—it may not mean that He’s going to accomplish it that second. When God makes a promise, that anchors our heart until we actually have the promise in hand. But, often there’s a good bit of time that passes from the moment we seize the promise and the time we actually see it accomplished.

Once I prayed with a young Christian about a problem. In her prayer she interjected firmly, “Right now, in the name of Jesus!” Right now …

God’s promises and God’s will always come to pass for those who latch on to them and refuse to let go. But, when we squeal, “Right now!” he often tells us to go sit on the bench and wait until the time comes.

Pouting

Or sometimes His time is right now. But, it’s Him who decides when because it’s His promise and His will.

Some of us are pouting on the end of the bench because the Coach won’t send us in. Keep working hard. Keep the vision of God’s promise in your heart and mind. God’s time is coming. Do what you must to improve, grow and get yourself ready so when you get into the game you’ll help the team win.

My first year of high school football I played guard. I got into a few games on defense but I never completely learned all the  plays on offense. Once the coach was going to put me in but I wasn’t ready because I was afraid I wouldn’t know who to block.

I had to stay on the sidelines until I got myself ready to play. And I really did want to play that year.

God’s promise, God’s will, God’s timing. You need all three. Add the hard work of growing in every situation so that you’ll be ready for that long-awaited  moment when the coach yells, “Hey, kid! Yeah, you. Get in there. We need you.”

Have you ever been discouraged because God spoke to you but the promise took a long time to come to pass? Share it with the other readers of Coffee Stains or leave a message online at: davidscoffeestains.com

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