I am finding that the older I get, the more I understand what it means to wait on the Lord. I am not saying that I am any better at doing that than I was ten years ago. It's that I just grasp the concept a little better. Perhaps living a few years back here in the United States has helped me in this area. I am constantly amazed at the fast pace of things such as life in general, information exchange, etc. Even traffic with people rushing from home to the grocery store as if the life of their family depended on them getting that gallon of milk within 5 minutes...
When the children of Israel had come out of 400+ years of bondage in Egypt, they began a journey, a pilgrimage if you will, towards the promised land. They were too numerous to count and it was a great feat on Moses part just to bring some sort of order to the whole chaos of millions of men, women, children, goats, possessions, etc., picking up everything they had every few days and moving on to the next place.
The key was that they were not only following God but also learning to follow Him and totally depend on Him for their every need. They were being molded into a people who not only knew Him but belonged to Him wholly. Their food was provided. God gave them water. Even their clothes and sandals were miraculously preserved and did not wear out because of God's great provision for them.
Even the timing of when they travelled or when they camped was up to God. And it was up to them to follow and be obedient or not follow and be disobedient. The writer of the book of Numbers says...
"Whether it was two days, a month, or longer, the Israelites camped and did not set out as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle. But when it was lifted, they set out. They camped at the Lord's command, and they set out at the Lord's command. They carried out the Lord's requirement according to His command through Moses." (Numbers 9:22-23)
They didn't get ahead of God and they didn't fall behind. They followed His leading. When the fire and the cloud moved, they moved. When it settled, they settled.
My human inclination and reasoning would say that surely there was a more direct route and way to the promised land. If we got together, devised a plan and then implemented it with the various tribes, we probably could have gotten the Israelites from Goshen to Canaan in a fraction of the time. Right?
What I am learning is that there is the "kronos" time in the world that we as humans live (yea, dwell) in. It is what we break down into 365 days for our year, 52 weeks, 7 days per week, 24 hours in a day,....We even quantify it by rationalizing "time is money", "make hay while the sun shines", "a day late, a dollar short", etc.
Yet there is another view of time and it is the "kairos" time. It is the God-view of time that has more to do with perfect timing and less to do with how we as humans structure or apportion time. It is God's timing. It is His perfect way of bringing everything into its own season and fruition according to His plan, His purpose and His priorities. In His "kairos" time, He knows when everything will happen. He is actually orchestrating the very time. "With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day..." (2 Peter 3:8) He knows the day His Son Jesus will return. He has determined that date already. He knows when evil and Satan will be conquered. It's a done deal. And it is hard for us to see and even believe these things because we are people living under the "kronos" of time and not His "kairos" reality.
I know that I should slow down and wait for the timing of God. I have seen over and over in my life that my best laid plans and actions are always infinitesimally successful and impactful when compared to the plans and the way of God.
Lord, may I follow Your cloud as you You lead by day and Your fire as You lead by night. May I see Your "kairos" moments in the midst of my short-sighted "kronos" world view. Whether it is two days, a month or longer, may I follow Your leading as You reveal it to me...
Amen!
When the children of Israel had come out of 400+ years of bondage in Egypt, they began a journey, a pilgrimage if you will, towards the promised land. They were too numerous to count and it was a great feat on Moses part just to bring some sort of order to the whole chaos of millions of men, women, children, goats, possessions, etc., picking up everything they had every few days and moving on to the next place.
The key was that they were not only following God but also learning to follow Him and totally depend on Him for their every need. They were being molded into a people who not only knew Him but belonged to Him wholly. Their food was provided. God gave them water. Even their clothes and sandals were miraculously preserved and did not wear out because of God's great provision for them.
Even the timing of when they travelled or when they camped was up to God. And it was up to them to follow and be obedient or not follow and be disobedient. The writer of the book of Numbers says...
"Whether it was two days, a month, or longer, the Israelites camped and did not set out as long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle. But when it was lifted, they set out. They camped at the Lord's command, and they set out at the Lord's command. They carried out the Lord's requirement according to His command through Moses." (Numbers 9:22-23)
They didn't get ahead of God and they didn't fall behind. They followed His leading. When the fire and the cloud moved, they moved. When it settled, they settled.
My human inclination and reasoning would say that surely there was a more direct route and way to the promised land. If we got together, devised a plan and then implemented it with the various tribes, we probably could have gotten the Israelites from Goshen to Canaan in a fraction of the time. Right?
What I am learning is that there is the "kronos" time in the world that we as humans live (yea, dwell) in. It is what we break down into 365 days for our year, 52 weeks, 7 days per week, 24 hours in a day,....We even quantify it by rationalizing "time is money", "make hay while the sun shines", "a day late, a dollar short", etc.
Yet there is another view of time and it is the "kairos" time. It is the God-view of time that has more to do with perfect timing and less to do with how we as humans structure or apportion time. It is God's timing. It is His perfect way of bringing everything into its own season and fruition according to His plan, His purpose and His priorities. In His "kairos" time, He knows when everything will happen. He is actually orchestrating the very time. "With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day..." (2 Peter 3:8) He knows the day His Son Jesus will return. He has determined that date already. He knows when evil and Satan will be conquered. It's a done deal. And it is hard for us to see and even believe these things because we are people living under the "kronos" of time and not His "kairos" reality.
I know that I should slow down and wait for the timing of God. I have seen over and over in my life that my best laid plans and actions are always infinitesimally successful and impactful when compared to the plans and the way of God.
Lord, may I follow Your cloud as you You lead by day and Your fire as You lead by night. May I see Your "kairos" moments in the midst of my short-sighted "kronos" world view. Whether it is two days, a month or longer, may I follow Your leading as You reveal it to me...
Amen!
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