The distinction between these two words can make all the difference in the world as Christ followers walk through this life—over peaks and through valleys—through good times and bad.
Why does it often seem like God doesn’t show up until the very last minute? Is His heavenly clock bias toward 11:59 pm?
Theories?
Anyone?
Okay, I’ll go first. This dynamic of a last minute God showed up again in my quiet time this morning. The passage I read was 1 Samuel 13:1-14. You can read it here.
The prophet Samuel gave very specific orders from God to King Saul, but, in Saul’s opinion, things were taking waaaaaaaay to long! So, he took matters into his own hands and the rest, as they say, is history.
Oh, Saul’s disobedience wasn’t blatant. He tried to reinterpret God’s commands, reimpliment them, partially fulfill them, stall them—anything and everything short of just plain obeying them. For this, he paid a heavy price. Again, if you are not familiar with the story, read it here. As you do, I’m confident a few of the same things that bother me will bother you. Things like…
- Saul waited a long time. Doesn’t that count for anything?
- Saul began to observe his men deserting right and left. Doesn’t that call for drastic action?
- Saul wanted to be a good steward of the army—fight while the odds were a little better. Isn’t that prudent?
- Saul still obeyed most of the command. He still sacrificed to God before the battle. He just did it himself rather than waiting on Samuel.
Good grief, doesn’t he even get partial credit? Does God seem a bit cruel here?
Sometimes it can seem that way. Or, at the very least, it can seem like God isn’t going to show up sometimes—as He lets us squirm and fret endlessly before coming to the rescue. What of it then? Is God a tease?
No. And therein lies the character flaw for which Saul was ultimately rejected as king. With Saul it wasn’t just one thing…
- One compromise
- One lie
- One cruelty
- One act of jealous rage
- One betrayal
- One attempted murder
- One mass murder
No, it was a lifetime of endless compromise and disobedience that pretty much kicked off with this national act of defiance I read about today. And God has an advantage over us. He knows the future.
And Saul’s was bleak.
He would never put God first unless he could see some advantage for himself in doing so. He would never love God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. And he would never lead Israel in the ways of the Lord. The Lord knew this—as He does with each of us.
Feel like the Lord has abandoned you? Maybe He’s looked down the road, and right now it looks like business as usual for you. Ever wonder how God deals with the “business as usual” crowd?
Look at Genesis 6:3,
“And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man…”
Seems God to tired of the fickleness and empty promises of man right out of the gate. On the other hand, from the beginning God has been seeking out those who want to get serious about living all out for Him.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says,
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”
I call these people, “God Chasers.” They’re not superheroes—stronger than the rest of us, faster, more angelic… Often, they are simply the ones who have determined in their heart to wait on God no matter what.
- No matter how dark things look
- No matter how strong the enemy looks
- No matter how small they themselves look
- No matter how long it takes
- No matter what!
That’s all.
No matter what.
They know God is not teasing them, but teaching them!—Teaching them endurance (see James 1:3). Turns out the Christian life is not a sprint—it’s a marathon. The “Business as Usual” crowd doesn’t seem to get this about God.*
When it seems time is running out and the “Business as Usual” crowd is screaming, “We’ve got to do something!” God Chasers are the ones who realize that we can follow man’s advice, jump the gun, do an end-around God or any number of things in our own strength, but it’s only when God steps in that there will be any real solution anyway.
They realize that the brave man is not really braver than any other. He’s simply braver for ten minutes longer!
* Feel like you’re a part of the “Business as Usual” crowd? There’s good news for you. While you still have breath in your body, there’s time to change. You can be a God Chaser. You can give up short sprints for God and become a maratnon athelete for Jesus. Rewrite your future today, before it’s too late.