In most countries, we have green lights that mean go, red lights that mean stop, and yellow lights that mean caution. Today, I want you to think of the yellow/caution lights in your life.
I was late to a meeting last week and realized that I was speeding so I slowed down, meaning I would be even later. Then I hit a red light with a further slowdown. Tapping my foot and deep sighs later, I came to a yellow light, which I ran through.
Immediately, the thought came to me: “Did you see what you just did? You proceeded through an intersection without being mindful, looking around to be sure the coast was clear.” Being in a rush makes us do things out of haste.
A few years ago, I was preaching at a mid-week service, and apparently, I did not see an 18-wheeler on the cross street. I went through, and a policeman pulled me over asking what I was doing. I told him I was praying, and his response, which now seems funny but at the time not… was, “Well, do you pray with your eyes open or closed while you drive?”
Some of you know the saying that haste makes waste. Being in a hurry causes us to slip through yellow caution lights or an occasional red light. But spiritually speaking, we do the same thing. We sense that the Lord is speaking to us, and without waiting, we move full speed ahead right into the intersection without stopping to pray, or wait, or seek counsel. A few weeks ago I did just that. Not once but twice, and I crashed. I ran ahead of God. And the Lord spoke to my heart:
Joanne, you have to slow down to hear my voice; wait on me in prayer and make sure your timing is right. I wasn’t praying with my eyes open or closed. I simply wasn’t praying.
Friends, life sometimes feels like a race, and I think it is a trap to keep us from leaning into God’s voice and getting our instructions, waiting on His timing. More often than not, I find that the Holy Spirit is nudging me to proceed with caution. I don’t fully have a green light or a hard stop red light, but a sense that I can go forward only with great caution.
So today I want to ask you a question: Are you tired of waiting on God’s timing or even His yes to go forward so you just jump out into the intersection without caution? Are you fearful that if you do not proceed ahead, you will be left behind, so you just barrel your way through? I have found that most often, the Lord is asking us to slow down; read the signs… green? red? or yellow? And when we sense yellow, proceed with great faith forward, but cautiously and slowly allowing the Lord to order your steps. Believe me, it is better than crashing.
Many are the plans of man, but it is only the Lord’s purposes that stand. (Proverbs 19:21)
