Not too long ago, my family book club read the book The Wager by David Grann. It was the tale of the ship The Wager, which along with five other war ships and two store ships, set off from England in an effort to intercept the Spanish Armada off the west side of South America, disrupt Pacific trade, and capture one or Spain’s treasure ships.
Their trip meant rounding the hazardous south tip of the continent—Cape Horn—a journey which had to be meticulously planned and executed, for to try to navigate around it at the wrong time would meet with disaster.
As with any human endeavor, as much as they could plan, there were always circumstances (weather, number of men, etc) that could delay the planned departure . . . or disrupt the trip without warning. Sometimes the human desire to continue was stronger than the common sense to sit and wait.
Which is why when I read Numbers 9:18-23 (yes, still in Numbers), I was struck by the description (not just once but multiple times ) of the Israelites journey through the desert.
. . . as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey. . . .
So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning; when the crowd was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up they would journey. Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey. At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (emphasis mine)
Most of us get impatient to get to our destination, to see a dream fulfilled or a resolution achieved. We don’t like to wait. We want it when we want it. But following our own timing can often lead to disastrous ends, just as it did with the Wager.
Solomon reiterated the wisdom of waiting on God in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
It’s hard to wait. It is also sometimes hard to go when God says go, and yet a delay (even a brief one as any sprinter can tell you) can be to our disadvantage. But if we truly trust Him; if we truly believe that He knows what He is about, and His timing is perfect, then we can take a deep breath, put our personal timelines to the side and be ready to GO or to WAIT. Ready?
Their trip meant rounding the hazardous south tip of the continent—Cape Horn—a journey which had to be meticulously planned and executed, for to try to navigate around it at the wrong time would meet with disaster.
As with any human endeavor, as much as they could plan, there were always circumstances (weather, number of men, etc) that could delay the planned departure . . . or disrupt the trip without warning. Sometimes the human desire to continue was stronger than the common sense to sit and wait.
Which is why when I read Numbers 9:18-23 (yes, still in Numbers), I was struck by the description (not just once but multiple times ) of the Israelites journey through the desert.
. . . as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey. . . .
So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning; when the crowd was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up they would journey. Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey. At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (emphasis mine)
Most of us get impatient to get to our destination, to see a dream fulfilled or a resolution achieved. We don’t like to wait. We want it when we want it. But following our own timing can often lead to disastrous ends, just as it did with the Wager.
Solomon reiterated the wisdom of waiting on God in Proverbs 3:5-6:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
It’s hard to wait. It is also sometimes hard to go when God says go, and yet a delay (even a brief one as any sprinter can tell you) can be to our disadvantage. But if we truly trust Him; if we truly believe that He knows what He is about, and His timing is perfect, then we can take a deep breath, put our personal timelines to the side and be ready to GO or to WAIT. Ready?
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