C is for Car Keys ~ Guest Post by Elizabeth Danna

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Gal. 6:9 NIV

 

Kids with Car Keys

A twelve-year-old boy takes the keys to his parents’ car and goes for a joyride. Occasionally a story like this makes the news, and it usually doesn’t end well. It usually ends in a crash, and the reason is a simple one. Twelve-year-olds don’t have the training or the maturity to drive a car. They’re not as ready for adult life as they may think they are. So a wise parent won’t give a child grown-up privileges or responsibilities until they’re ready to handle them. 

Like a wise parent, our heavenly Father doesn’t always give us what we want when we want Him to. This includes the things He has promised us. We may feel His call on our lives and He may confirm it, but He may not open the door to it right away. The reason for that may simply be that we aren’t ready for it yet. We may need more training or spiritual growth before we can do what God has called us to do. If God gives us what He wants us to have before we’re ready for it, we’re likely to ruin it, like a child who crashes their parents’ car. We may think that we’re ready before we actually are. Sometimes God’s answer to our prayers is, “Not yet, not until you’re ready.” This may not be what we want to hear, any more than teenagers want to hear their parents say, “You’re not grown up yet.” That’s why we need to trust in God’s timing, and remember that He knows us better than we know ourselves. Not that this kind of trust is easy! When God anoints us for something, we’re usually eager to start right away! If you’re waiting on God for the opportunity to do what He has called you to do, keep trusting, growing, and getting ready. Keep waiting on God, doing what He has put in front of you now. It can be hard not to get tired of doing the groundwork. But don’t give up. God is faithful and trustworthy. What He has said, He will do. When you’re ready, He’ll give you the keys and release you into your calling. 

Elizabeth Danna, Ph.D., was born and raised near Toronto, where she still lives. She has worked for Crossroads, a large Canadian ministry, for many years. Her hobbies include music and needlework, but her main passion is the Word of God. She is trained in New Testament Studies, and has a desire to help people understand the Word so that they can grow spiritually. She recently published Through the Lens of Faith: Devotions on Life, the Universe, and Everything, from Resource Publications. She has also written two small-group Bible studies, From Gethsemane to Pentecost (2011) and The Stories of Jesus: A Study in the Parables of Jesus (2016) both from Wipf & Stock.