Proverbs 20:21

Scripture

An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning will not be blessed in the end.

Observation

In this world we are bombarded with the idea that we need to have things fast.  I can be easily taken in by this worldly mentality just.  In the battle of the bulge I would definitely choose the wonder pill or  the "lose 20lbs in 30 days" exercise promise.   But I also look at stars who lost a lot of weight quickly and then gained it back just a few short years later.  This "I have to have it now" mentality isn't limited to just weight loss and food, its everywhere.  

Many of us have answered the ever-growing monster inside of us, with a credit card.   For a fixed low-rate finance, we can get everything we want right now.  Seemingly to forget about the fact that we will have to pay that gigantic bill off later, many times we are still paying long after the items purchased has been thrown away.

Watch commercials on television sometime and then repeat what you have just been told to believe out loud.  "If I drink this specific type of alcohol, the opposite sex will find me attractive.", "If I buy this car, I will be the envy of my friends.", "If I eat a subway sandwich instead of a hamburger then I won't be overweight".   If you are like me, you will be appalled at what you are being asked to believe, but we do don't we?  We fall into "I want it all, I want it now" trap. 

This scripture say's it is better to wait.  We can be the prodigal son and want our inheritance now and squander it (Luke 15:11-32).  And just like him we forfeit the blessing the inheritance could have been if we would have waited.

Application

A couple weeks ago I posted Proverbs 30:7-9.  It is a scripture asking God to give the portion that He wills, submitting that He knows and He will use that portion to draw me closer to Him.  Well shortly after that post we got a slew of hospital bills, our oven decided to be moody and pick and choose when it would work, my computer mouse stopped working (I had to learn how to use CTRL keys to maneuver...a story for another time), and our vacuum cleaner gave out.  What was my immediate reaction? It was to fix it right now, of course!  Go buy a vacuum, a new mouse, a new oven, and obviously not pay the hospital bills.  But God reminded me of what I had prayed and that this was my portion.  So I didn't react, I just waited and praised Him for using bills and broken items to draw me closer to Him.  Well this weekend my sister-in-law Holly gave us her brand new Kirby Vacuum, that is also a carpet cleaner, because it is too heavy for her to use. It is perfect!  I was also able to get a mouse and someone we had given some money too a long time ago, decided to give it back to us. And they had no idea of our circumstance. Our God is so amazing!

I also want to emphasize that it is important to apply this principle with our children.  I don't know how your kids are, but my kids don't like to wait.  When you are a child, 5 minutes of adult time is 5 hours to you.  I reconcile this discretion to 2 Peter 3:8, where God enlightens us to His time and He say's 1 day is a 1000 years and a 1000 years is 1 day to Him. I want to bless my children, however, sometimes to bless them I have to forsake their immediate happiness. When I struggle with saying "no, wait" God is strength in my weakness; much to my children's dismay I might add :).

 Prayer

Whew, LORD, I am so very wordy today.  It is amazing to me how much heavenly wisdom can be found in once sentence of Your word. I praise You that You consider our time together so precious and LORD it is so very precious to me also.  I am so grateful for the promise of blessing that I have when I wait for my inheritance.   Your word promises hope if I allow patience to develop experience within me (Rom. 5:3-4 KJV). I ask that You would keep lies far from me (Prov. 30:7-9).  If there are lies that I have already believed please shine Your light of truth on them, and Father please pull those weeds from my heart.  Do not allow Your daughter to walk around deceived, reacting to every whim of the flesh.  Thank You for Your mindfulness of me LORD.  I rejoice in today in Your steadfast love.