Quick Take – It is amazing how quickly we run out of patience.  With all the demands we have placed on us as leaders it is easy to get irritated when things and people move too slowly.  One of the banks I use drives me crazy because they take so long to do a simple deposit.  We live in a day and age where there is never enough time.  But why are we like this if we serve an all powerful God?  Usually, it is because we are afraid.  We are afraid of what we may miss or what ill may befall us if things take too long.  We are afraid of something so we try to hurry things up as an insurance against calamity or failure.  We do not have the courage we need to wait on God’s perfect timing.  If we take our courage from God, we can wait for just the right time and not panic.

Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. Psalms 27:14 (NASB)

And remember – Jesus wins,
Tim

     Digging Deeper – One of the things we must know is that our God is never one second early or one second late.  He is exactly on time every time.  We, on the other hand, have all kinds of timing issues.  We get in a hurry because we are afraid of something.  When we really look at our life, it is amazing how fear rules us.  God is the giver of peace and sin is the giver of fear.  If we are paralyzed in fear, then we are of no real use.  We are just stuck in one place.
     Now I know a lot of people who seem to be very brave, and yet, if their courage is from the flesh I can probably find more things they are afraid of than they aren’t.  Oh sure, they may be daredevils when it comes to all kinds of physical feats.  They may be able to get in the face of anyone no matter how big or powerful they are.  They might even take on anyone with their fists.  But they will be scared to death of the emotional and spiritual issues in their life.  They might be afraid to tell their children of their love.  They may be afraid to admit their need for a Savior.
     The flesh will always have a marker of impatience with its courage.  It will not wait for anything but rashly run forward.  It will be afraid of all kinds of failures or exposures.  It will not wait for anyone greater to be in control.  Courage of the flesh sees everything from the view of this world and not eternity.  All things in this world are temporal and passing, so one must hurry.  
     When we take the courage that comes from God, we have a courage which sees things in light of eternity.  There is never a panic and the courage stands in the face of all things whether they are physical, emotional, or spiritual.  It stands firm in the face of all circumstances because it recognizes God as all powerful and not the events of this world.
     What kind of courage do you have?  Are you afraid of what will happen if you don’t do something right now?  Are you afraid of God’s perfect timing being overrun by the pressures of this world?  Can you wait on all things physical, emotional, and spiritual?  If your courage is impatient and driven by fear, then you have an earthly courage.  Wait on God and take up His courage so you can trust in His timing and not yours or the world’s.
Blessings, and thanks for digging deeper with me!