We have been taught a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. We have been trained to believe something we can see or access now is better than something that is unseen and inaccessible in the now. But the kingdom of God is a delayed gratification culture. Most of what God gives us happens in seed (words) form, then bears fruit, great multitudes of fruit over time.

Immaturity is revealed in our need to have it now. Maturity is willing to patiently wait for the promise that was spoken in seed form, even when it is not visible. The older we get the more we experience the consequences and challenges of jumping on what was seen rather than waiting on the promise that was heard.

People hear something and believe it to be true, only later to find out what they heard and acted on bore bad fruit, but it sounded so good in the moment. Proverbs 18:8 says, “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.” It tastes so good in the moment, but the results are painful.

I was reading Isaiah 36 this morning and it speaks of a man named Rabshekah, who is a military commander for the king of Assyria. He is offering Israel and alternative to the promises spoken through Hezekiah from Yahweh. The challenge is the words of God are in seed from, the promises of the enemy are in now time.

Isaiah 36 “Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in Judean and said, “Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. Thus says the king, ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for thus says the king of Assyria, ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern, until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards. Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you.”

There are two voices vying for your affection, one is promising now time benefits, the other is promising a future that is bright and substantive. One you can see in the natural, another one is being built in the invisible. The choice is yours. I can only speak for me, waiting has been so worth it. I heard a promise from the Lord and He is always faithful, though it tarry, wait for it. Don’t take the bait of Rabsheka. Www.apostolicresourcecenter.org