Wait Until God Says Go

Just because God has told you to do something does not mean He has told you to do it now. I have learned this lesson the long, slow, and hard way. I made the assumption years ago that whatever directions God gives me are for right now, but I have learned repeatedly over time that all of His instructions are for a specific time – His time, not mine. Just as the prophets in the Bible foretold of things to come in the future, God will sometimes give us instructions that are NOT for now. He is merely letting us know that He is preparing us, and perhaps others, for something that will happen down the road. Why do you suppose God does it this way?

When I look at my own story, I realize that God has told me of future happenings because He wants me to first go through a season of preparation. He prepares my heart, He prepares my life, and He prepares other people and circumstances that will play a role in His ultimate plan. If I do not wait until God says go, then I will interfere with the preparations – and perhaps even stop the plan from unfolding. I have done this so many times I cannot even count. Certainly I am not alone. Just look at the Bible.

Abram was told by God he would be a father of many nations, but Abram had trouble believing God’s plan would really unfold. So what did he do? He ran ahead of God and took the initiative to birth his own child – with the wrong woman! He fathered a nation alright – but not the one God intended! Fortunately, God gave Abram another chance and Abram did in fact become a father of many nations as God promised. Imagine what could have been avoided had Abram waited for God to say, “Go!”

If you think God does not actually say “Go”, think again. He told Jacob 35:1 (Genesis 35:1) to “Go”, he told Joshua to “Go” (Joshua 8:1), he told David to “Go” (1 Sam. 23:4), and the list goes on. But God did not only tell these men to go. He told them when to go.

Obedience is not just about doing what God tells us to do. Obedience is about doing what God tells us to do when God tells us to do it.

Some say we learn from our mistakes. I believe we also learn from the mistakes of others. I hope you will learn from my mistake of not waiting until God’s appointed time to do His will that you do not need to make the same mistake. God has an appointed time for His will, and we will all benefit from waiting until God says, “Go”.

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