Sometimes it seems like most of our life is spent waiting on one thing or another. Life has a way of testing even the most patient person. St. Luke 11 verse 9 says, “. . . “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” But no where have I discovered in the Bible a verse that says when we ask, seek, or knock we will get results immediately. That becomes the challenge – when will we receive what has been promised and are there contingencies?

Even when life is at a place where we seem to be our happiest and most fulfilled; because of the love of our Father, He promises that it can be even better if it is within the scope of His will. So, we should not even expect to remain in the same place regardless of our present status being good, bad, or anywhere in between. Therefore, there will be a NEXT!

The timing and placement of our NEXT all depends on our NOW. It is what you do in your NOW that will determine your NEXT! A perfect example given to us is the deliverance of the Israelites into their Promised Land. It was never meant to take 40 years for them to arrive. A journey that was supposed to take days, took 40 long years! Because of their actions, attitudes, skepticism, disobedience, and ungratefulness their next was delayed; and for some their next was not the Promised Land. Regrettably they died without ever getting there! When God has a blessing in store for us whether it is a blessing we have petitioned Him for, or something He just desired for us because we are His child(ren), what we say, do, and how we react to life’s circumstances determine everything! We can remain prayerful, worshipful, and expectant but that human side of us can negate all of that. We like to compartmentalize and make excuses and accusations for our actions to substantiate our convenience and rationale. But God never gave any assurance that He would give us a pass on our actions and reactions, and yet bless us with our next.

A very simple, yet easily applied principle I adopted many years ago relates to how I treat and care for the things I have now. If I have a car or a home and eventually desire something better, I must treat and care for that which I have now in a manner that demonstrates how I will care for and appreciate what’s next. And we dare not forget the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This command is based on words encompassed in Jesus’ sermon on the mount.

Yes it is true, God will withhold no good thing from us, and every good and perfect gift is from Him, but the true test of what the magnitude of our NEXT will be; and when and how we will receive it is contingent upon what we do in our NOW!

Source: First Lady Denise