Week 24 - June 9-15, 2024: The Slow Reveal

This week’s daily readings:

June 2-8, 2024

The Slow Reveal

by The Rev. Justin Elerath

Scripture:

The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little. You may not make an end of them at once, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for you. 

— Deuteronomy 7:22 (ESV) 

Reflection:

We made the decision in 2016 to move across the country and give up the life we knew for the unknown. Through prayer, we had discerned God’s will was for us to pack up and move. In this passage from Deuteronomy, God was laying out his plan for Israel. It was a plan for blessing, but it was a plan that would take time. Israel had established a pattern of growing impatient with God’s plan and reverting to their old ways. Here we are thousands of years later and nothing has changed – we still want to do it our way! 

After discerning that we were to move to New England, we began taking action: I began to look for a job and we put our house on the market. We were ready to make the move, but we were ready to make the move now. What we didn’t know at the time was that it was all going to work out, but it was going to be a slow reveal. We needed to be patient with God’s plan. He didn’t leave us alone to figure it all out on our own. 

After months of looking for a job, nothing was panning out; I wasn’t sure anything was actually going to happen. I wanted to take control when God was asking us to relinquish control. I thought I would have to sell my house for a loss, pay for the move, and with no money remaining, move into an apartment upon our arrival. This was our plan, yet God had a plan for blessing. We just had to wait for the slow reveal. Months later, I was offered an internal transfer at the company I was working for that would pay the cost of the move, provide me a job, and ensure that I would be able to buy a house at our new destination! 

It’s easy to think that we have somehow gotten past our desire to return to our previous life and, if you are like me, your previous way may not sound that bad. I came to faith at the age of 4, so my old life was a toddler life. Yet, temptation is available to us all. We can choose to be patient and accept God’s promise for blessing, knowing that the fulfillment of that blessing may not come when we want. In fact, we can be assured that it will not come in full until Jesus returns.

Prayer:

O Lord, my God, I thank you for the lessons you’ve taught me in this life. How many trials must I go through before I learn to rely on your wisdom, your ways, and your timing? Give me the patience to wait for your blessing and remove the temptation to take control of things myself. I know you have promised good to those who love you, so help me have faith in you and the glorious plan you have for your people through Jesus Christ, your Son, in whose name I pray. Amen