Day 39/365- Exodus 23:29

But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals would multiply and threaten you. (Exodus 23:29 NLT)

Queen, that 1980s band of deep theologians once wrote, "I want it all, I want it all, & I want it now." (Your welcome for me putting that song into your head for the rest of the day).

This epitomizes our culture doesn't it? Don't cook it from scratch in the oven, buy it prepackaged & microwave it. Don't save up for it, by it now with money you don't have. Don't wait until marriage to see if you are compatible, just live together now. From microwaves to relationships we want what we want and we want it now.

This is not always God's heart for us. In fact, when it comes to following God, waiting is a common theme. Abraham was told by God to wait to have a son in God's timing. He took a shortcut & had a son with Hagar, his wife's servant. The Psalmist tells us over & over again to wait for the Lord. And here in the book of Exodus God tells his people that they will have to wait. He will not give them the land right away but will do it gradually. Notice why. He will do it gradually so that the land will not waste away & the wild animals will not overwhelm them. They will have to grow into the land. In the meantime, God is going to use their enemies to cultivate the land for them & keep the animal population in check. When the time is right, he will drive them all out & give his people the land he promised them so long ago.

We too must wait on the Lord. It's not that he doesn't want to give us good things. He wants us to experience his best. From sexual intimacy in the context of marriage to saving up for the things we buy, the best things often come from waiting for God's timing.
Not only this, but the people we envy the most that seem to be blessed but are not pleasing the Lord, could really just be being used to keep what God has for us until his perfect timing.

So the motto for followers of Jesus should be, "I want it all, I want it all, & I want it later."

God's best often comes to those who wait.