Kindly, Kayla 🌼

Expectant (adj) – having or showing an excited feeling that something is about to happen, especially something pleasant and interesting.

Have you ever ordered something from Amazon? I know the answer is 100% yes in this heavy online shopping era. These days, as you’re looking at the app, it’ll show you when something will come before you even buy it. Some things say two-day shipping, other things say next-day shipping. But some things say it’ll come on a further-off date than usual. This happened to me this week. I’ve been looking for a cover for my new Bible. I didn’t want it to be too big for it nor too small, I wanted it to be just right. I measured my Bible and found the perfect case! The problem was, Amazon said that it wouldn’t come for like, a WHOLE week. If you’re anything like me, you have Amazon Prime and are accustomed to next-day shipping. So even though I found the perfect case, I started looking for one that would come quicker. So I ordered a different one, not as good as the first option, but it would be here tomorrow, so I convinced myself that it was fine, just so I can have the case quicker. I received the case in the mail, tried it on my Bible, and was heavily disappointed. It was WAY too big, my Bible kept sliding out of it, and the color didn’t match as much as I thought it would. I was disappointed. So I started a return on Amazon and decided to just order the perfect one I wanted initially! It still said it would be here in a week, but I decided to just be patient so that I could get the right one. 

Today, I decided to check on Amazon to see if another package was being delivered soon. As I scrolled through my orders, I saw that the Bible case, which was not supposed to arrive until Friday, was already out for delivery, set to arrive today. I let out an inaudible gasp in my mind, like, ‘Wow, it’s coming today!’ Yay!!

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks. That’s exactly how we are with God. We know that God has good plans for us. We know that He works everything out for our good. We know that He wouldn’t lead us this far to leave us. How do we know? We see it all throughout the Bible. Think Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Paul, and so many more. Yet, we settle. We take something that’s not God’s best for us, because it’ll happen sooner. Because it’ll match the timeline that the world gives us. Because our friends have it already, and we want it too. If only we could just wait on God’s timing. Perhaps if we just obey, He might give it to us quicker than we expected!! It may seem like it’s taking long, but one day you could wake up and see that it’s right around the corner. You know how, when your package is out for delivery, Amazon will tell you that it’s ten stops away, then five stops away, then two? Your breakthrough from God could be one stop away, but because we are so impatient, we cancel the order and go for something that isn’t right for us.

This made me think about Saul in 1 Samuel 13. “As a new king, Saul would need a standing army to meet the military threats he would face- including the Philistines, who continued to be a pain.” In chapter 13, verse 5, we see that the Philistines mustered up a mighty army- 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers, and as many warriors as the grains of sand on the seashore! The men of Israel began to see what a tight spot they were in and tried to hide in various places: caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns. Saul’s men were trembling with fear, and Saul was apparently waiting for Samuel to come and “offer the appropriate sacrifices seeking the Lord’s help for victory.” (v.8) “But Saul got tired of waiting and sinned by usurping the priest’s role.” The scriptures say, “just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived.” (v.10). Samuel rebuked him for his disobedience to the command the Lord gave him and told him, “had you kept it the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart.” (v.13-14). WOW!! Y’all, I read this passage a few months ago, and now it’s making sense why it stuck with me for this long. How often do we get tired of waiting and take matters into our own hands? The very moment Saul presented the sacrifice, Samuel arrived!! Imagine God is one stop away with your blessing, and you miss out because you couldn’t wait just one more moment. 

(Quoted commentary from Tony Evans Bible Commentary. Scripture from the NLT version.)

So let’s be expectant for what God has for us. If you’re waiting for a husband or wife, do not settle. If you’re waiting on a job, do not settle. If you’re waiting on healing, do not take matters into your own hands; wait on God for clarity. We know that if we serve the same God of Abraham, Moses, and Joseph, He will come through for us. So let’s show God our faith! Let’s wait for His best and not take matters into our own hands because ultimately we will be disappointed. Let’s show our faith by our obedience because your package could be right around the corner. Let’s expect that God’s preparing the best and be okay with the fact that it might take a little more time. I’d rather wait for God’s best than settle for less. 

Thank you so much for reading.

Kindly,

Kayla