Waiting For Rube Goldberg


WAITING FOR RUBE GOLDBERG

“Wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” - Acts 1:4b-5

Do you know what a Rube Goldberg machine is?  It’s a contraption designed to perform a very simple task in an indirect way, using multiple seemingly-unrelated steps that cause a domino effect.

In high school Physics we each created one for the science fair.  It was always an honor to be offered the opportunity to initiate the first step in a project and watch the process play out.

What would normally take two seconds done in a direct manner, might take 15 or 20 seconds to accomplish using a Rube Goldberg machine, but the process can be fascinating to watch. The enjoyment comes in the process of the wait.

Are you patient in waiting?

Impatience can even slither into our relationship with God.  When He speaks to us about His plan for our lives, initially we may be excited, but with a delay, we grow weary and start to question if God really spoke at all.

In the garden, the serpent asked Eve, “...Did God really say...?”  (Gen 3:1)  Those words are often an engraved invitation to sin.  Then there are Abraham and Sarah.  They were given a promise, but years passed without seeing fulfillment, so they took matters into their own hands, creating a lingering mess!

Have you suffered consequences that stem from a lack of patience?

The truth is that we aren’t the only one who waits.

“Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.” - Isaiah 30:18

Countless times I have waited for God to answer my prayers, without even a flicker of light on the horizon.  Even the crickets playing the musical score for the moment grew weary, packed up their violins and went home.

It wasn’t until one day someone said to me, “Maybe God is waiting for you.”  They added, “Is there something that God has asked you to do that you forgot to do, or brushed under the carpet, hoping He would forget?”

Maybe GOD was waiting for ME.

It never dawned on me that maybe God had not yet answered, because He was waiting for ME.  Even though my obedience appeared unrelated to my desired answer, perhaps I was delaying my own answer.

God creates delays for reasons of wisdom and love.  We create delays in our disobedience.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬

Is there a possibility that you are not waiting for God to answer, but God is waiting for you?

Father, we come before You.  When You speak, help us to believe You, wait patiently and fight the temptation to doubt.  Block our pathway to manipulation.  Strengthen our resolve to wait for Your timing, so we don’t create a roadblock to our blessing.

At the same time, if we have forgotten Your instruction, or we have been stubborn in our disobedience, we ask to be blessed with an “Ah-ha!” moment.  Help us to be obedient today.

Forgive us for insinuating that You are slow or unfaithful, and for keeping the creator of the universe waiting. You are not slow to answer.  We are slow to obey.

Lord, teach us to love wisdom, so we will be quick to obey and patient in waiting!  In Jesus’ Name. ❤️

Dear friend, if the Lord has spoken, He will be faithful in keeping His promise in His timing. If you have been waiting a long time, why not ask the Lord to reveal if you have bypassed a step?  Then go back and complete it. 💡

If you have been encouraged or challenged, please repost and further His kingdom!  Then come, follow and be refreshed at:
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