But I want it NOW!!!!

The other day my four year old grandson was at our house for a few hours. Now, I love the "Nana" role - it's much less restrictive than the "Mom" role. Without being overly indulgent, Nana can allow things that Mom cannot - an extra snack here and there, reading a favorite book anytime of the day, etc. And believe me, even at four, Benson has learned how to snag his Nana with his big, beautiful eyes...

Well, that particular afternoon, he had had a snack or two already when he asked for an ice cream cone he "conveniently" found in the freezer. I knew his mom would be picking him up shortly and it was close to supper time. So I said, "Not now, Benson. It's too close to supper time."

"But I want it now!" he said, looking at me with those beautiful eyes. Only this time, I saw a tiny speck of defiance. Immediately, I knew he was testing me!

Now, the Nana-part of me wanted to squeeze him tight and fill him up with ice cream cones! However, the Mother-part of me knew better. Even though I wanted to give him what he wanted and make him happy, I knew that was not what was best for him in the long run.

So, I answered, "Not now, Benson. You'll have to wait." And his countenance fell, and for just a moment, my heart ached.

Does that sound like a conversation you've had with the Father?

• God, we need rain before it's too late...
• Father, please heal my loved one - quickly...
• Lord, I don't understand why this is happening to me...
• But Father, Your word says, "Ask," and I've been asking...
• How long is my "wilderness" going to last?...
• I've been praying for my husband's salvation for years, Lord...

We've all been in situations in which we desperately wanted God to work, work in our desired way, and work quickly. If we are honest with ourselves, frustration has probably set in because we weren't getting our way! We may have even been tempted to quit praying or even get angry with God.

Satan delights in our spiritual frustration!

Sometimes and for reasons we don't always understand, the Father will say, "Not now. You have to wait."

Psalm 37 gives us insight in how to handle adverse circumstances, especially when things aren't moving as quickly as we want. It gives us one "don't" and five "do's."

• DO NOT fret (NAS) be upset (NCV) be bothered (The Message) worried (GNT) - Anger and worry are two very destructive emotions, which erode faith. The Psalmist says, "Don't go down that path!" In fact, he says it three times - verses 1, 7, and 8, so it is an important exhortation.
• Can all those worries add a single moment to your life? - Luke 12:25 (NLT)
• Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Phil. 4:6 (NLT)
• DO Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness 37:3 (NAS) - To trust means to rely upon or place confidence in someone. We can have absolute confidence that the God of this universe has our backs!
• "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Jer. 29:11 (NAS)
• For the Lord will be your confidence... Prov. 3:26 (NAS)
• When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You... Psalm 56:3 (NAS)
• DO Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. 37:4 (NAS) -  To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This only happens when we know that person well. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must know Him and know Him well.
• ...I know Jesus, the One in whom I have believed. And I am sure He is able to protect what He has trusted me with until that day. 2 Tim. 1:12 (NCV)
• Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. Psalm 40:5 (NAS)
• DO Commit your way to the Lord... 37:5 (NAS) - To commit ourselves to the Lord means to entrust everything - our lives, families, jobs, possessions, future - to His control and guidance.
• I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith...Gal. 2:20 (NAS)
• Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22 (NAS)
• DO Rest in the Lord...37:7 - Rest means to relieve weariness by cessation of exertion. Therefore, to rest in the Lord, we must trust Him, know Him well (delight), turn the situation over to Him (commit), and then cease from trying to fix it ourselves! Don't do anything about it unless He directs you to.
• Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matt. 11:28
• For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing. Jer. 31:25 (NLT)
• DO Wait patiently for Him...and you will inherit the land...37:7, 9, 34 - Of all these actions, waiting is the most difficult, at least for me! We must learn to trust God's timing.
• There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven...Eccl. 3:1
• For your thoughts are not My thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. Is. 55:8-9

Turning these commands into personal actions will not be easy, but we must not forget what is promised at the end of the commands - You will inherit the land. That land is the Promised Land, which in the future is Glory - spending eternity with the Father. But for the here and now, the Promised Land is the abundant life that Jesus came to give on this earth. And part of that abundant life is peace.

• Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7

My sweet Benson did not understand why he had to wait until after supper to have his ice cream cone. "But Nana, I want it now!"

But let's remember that our Father knows all and certainly knows what is best in all our circumstances. We just have to learn to:

• Not worry or be upset
• Trust Him and place our confidence in Him
• Delight in the pleasure of His presence
• Commit everything to His care
• Rest in Him and not try to manipulate
• Wait patiently for His will to work in His timing

Yet those who wait patiently upon the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary. Is 40:31