People Over ProgramSample

WHENEVER YOU'RE READY

Israel had already reached the edge of the Promised Land less than two years after starting their journey. But God made them wait in the wilderness for forty years because they were not ready.

The Israelites were understandably afraid. These guys were former slaves who were children and great-great-grandchildren of slaves. And slaves were not known for their courage and ability to wage war.

So when the twelve spies saw the mighty warriors waiting for them on the other side of the Jordan River, they began to lose faith. They did not think they could conquer these powerful armies. So even though these lands were as good as advertised, ten of the twelve spies convinced the people that they should return to Egypt.

God was furious because his people had more fear for these mere mortals than they had faith in the God of heavenly armies. Israel was not ready to fight the battle. They were not prepared to inherit the Promised Land. So God made them wait to ensure that the next generation would be ready, even if it would take them forty long years in the wilderness.

God is patient. He would rather wait for his loved ones to mature than fulfill a divine appointment calendar. The Eternal God knows that the who is always more important than the when. God does not mind rearranging his schedule to accommodate his people. And neither should we.

Unfortunately, we often fail to exhibit the same patience when dealing with people who are not ready. As individuals and churches, we are so committed to our plans, programs, and vision boards that we are unwilling to wait for those straggling behind. We think that we don’t have enough time to wait for those who are still immature in their faith.

That’s not true. We always have time for people. If our schedules and objectives do not align with the needs of the friends and family God has put around us, then we need to adjust. Let’s rearrange our plans and programs according to the needs of the people. Because in God’s Kingdom, Church, and Family, it’s always people over programs.