“When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him.” (Ecclesiastes 5:4, NLT)
Psalm 40:1, Hebrews 6:15, James 5:7, and many other scripture verses tout the value of waiting upon the Lord or waiting patiently for the Lord to work. Patiently waiting for the Lord’s time is an important spiritual trait. If you act impulsively, before the Lord has everything ready in your situation, the blessing will often be lost.
However, there are also times when you should not wait to do something. Many things in life require quick action in order to preserve, help, save, or protect someone or something. If a child is about to tumble backward off a chair, you don’t want to hold back in your rush to protect her. When a safety mechanism on a machine on the assembly line is failing, management must fix the problem or risk injuries or death on the job site. When a man has a fever of 106, you need to get that fever down immediately or risk damage to his brain. There are times when a delay can be detrimental, ruinous, and even fatal.
In the latter 1800’s the Minneapolis Tribune became a thriving business. Its newspaper was widely read. News from its offices went around the world. On November 30, 1889, the Minneapolis Tribune building, a magnificent piece of architecture some seven stories tall, caught fire. Sadly, the fire began in the lower elevator shaft, and filled the adjacent stairway with deadly fumes. It was almost impossible to negotiate in the dark smoke. Several brave people endeavored to get people out through the smoke-filled building. Some were able to escape via the fire-escape. However, the longer people were stuck on the upper floors, the more difficult it became to reach them. Also, the fire-escape became damaged by flames.
Up on the sixth story, there was a dispatcher for the Associated Press. He was urged to escape before the fire engulfed the building. He even had a chance to escape with two groups but declined. Unable to resist the power of this breaking story, he stayed on the sixth floor sending out sensational reports. These reports went out by his telegraph all over the world describing the fire and his desperate situation. People gathered to watch the fire in the streets below. Firemen fought the blaze. Throughout it all, the dispatcher continued to send out his headlines. “I am in the Tribune building,” he telegraphed, “in the sixth story, and the building is on fire. The fire has now reached the second story; I am in the sixth.” In a little while he sent another message: “The fire has now reached the third story; I am in the sixth.” Soon he telegraphed: “The fire has reached the fourth story; I am in the sixth.” Soon again the message came over the wires: “The fire has reached the fifth story; I am in the sixth.” Thousands of people heard about the man sending out telegraphs who was stranded on the sixth floor. More and more people gathered at the building, hoping for the best.
Finally, when the fire and smoke were about to overtake him, the dispatcher ran across to another room and reached the fire-escape. He found, to his dismay, that the fire-escape was engulfed in flames. With the stairway, elevator, and fire-escape all blocked, he pondered what to do. Opening a window, he looked up to see a long guy-wire attached from the Tribune Building to the building next door. Knowing it was his only hope, he grabbed the wire and began to make his way to the next building. People watched from the streets below. Everyone grew quiet, in breathless suspense. He didn’t make it far, tumbling down to his death six stories below.
After telling a version of this story, R.A. Torrey said the following words at a revival that were later written down for posterity: “Men and women, you are in a burning building to-night, you are in a doomed world; but thank God, there is a way of escape, but only one, Christ Jesus. That way is open tonight, but no one knows how long that way will be left open. I beg of you, do not neglect it, and then when it is too late lay hold on some poor guy-rope of human philosophy, and go a little way, and then let go, and plunge, not six stories down, but on and on and on through the awful, unfathomable depths of the gulf of eternal despair. Men and women, turn to Christ tonight! “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Anecdotes and Illustrations, p. 144)
When R.A. Torrey spoke to his audience about the burning Tribune building, he wanted them to understand that their salvation couldn’t wait. God wanted them to commit their souls that very night. Yes, there are times to wait patiently upon the Lord. There are also times when waiting could cost you everything.
The scripture for today from the pages of Ecclesiastes bears witness to the fact that some things in life should not be delayed. God expects you to do them right away. Ecclesiastes 5:4 teaches that “when you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through”. Don’t make God wait for your vow to be completed. If God wants you to do something NOW, to wait is to fail God. If the time is right for God’s work to be accomplished, who are you to put it off?
When I am summoned to the bedside of someone who is dying, I never know what will happen. Some people just want to say a prayer. Some want the company. Some, when alone with me, will open up and bear a burden that has been haunting them for some time. As I walked into the hospital room of a man in his eighties named Clarence, I was met with a smile. Doctors gave the man 24 hours to live. He had an aneurism too large to be repaired with an emergency operation. It could burst at any moment.
I pulled up a chair and sat facing Clarence in the bed. We chatted for a bit. Then, he went quiet. After a few moments, he told me a sad story about one of his greatest regrets in life.
After the untimely death of his parents, Clarence was raised by his grandparents. He loved growing up on their farm out in the country. He cherished the many memories of that place, even though his parents were absent. Clarence so loved his grandparents that he asked his grandfather to be the best man at his wedding. When his wife became pregnant with their first child, Clarence told his grandparents before telling another soul. He adored his grandparents.
At that moment in the retelling of his story, Clarence swallowed hard. Then, tears filled his eyes. Slowly, he got the words out. When his grandfather lay dying, Clarence was notified by family. Instead of leaving right away to drive the two hours to get there, Clarence finished his meeting at work and took time to arrange for his secretary to make some calls. He even answered several emails. Finally, Clarence hopped in his car for the drive, but it was too late. His beloved grandfather died fifteen minutes before Clarence arrived. The family told him that his grandfather’s last words were, “How long until Clarence gets here?” To this day, Clarence is ashamed of his delay that day. He regrets terribly that he dawdled instead of being there at the bedside of the grandfather he cherished.
Some things in life can’t wait. Some of the most important moments of your life will require your immediate action or attention. The scripture for today urges you to not delay in fulfilling a promise to God. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches that there is a “time and season for everything under the sun”. Some things in life take patience. Some things in life need to be done when the timing is right. God may light a fire under you when there is an immediate need. Don’t delay when God is wanting your immediate action or attention or response.
Is there something God needs you to change right now? Is there something you have been putting off that needs your attention? Don’t ignore it when God wants you to follow through immediately. God can see many things you cannot.
However, there are also times when you should not wait to do something. Many things in life require quick action in order to preserve, help, save, or protect someone or something. If a child is about to tumble backward off a chair, you don’t want to hold back in your rush to protect her. When a safety mechanism on a machine on the assembly line is failing, management must fix the problem or risk injuries or death on the job site. When a man has a fever of 106, you need to get that fever down immediately or risk damage to his brain. There are times when a delay can be detrimental, ruinous, and even fatal.
In the latter 1800’s the Minneapolis Tribune became a thriving business. Its newspaper was widely read. News from its offices went around the world. On November 30, 1889, the Minneapolis Tribune building, a magnificent piece of architecture some seven stories tall, caught fire. Sadly, the fire began in the lower elevator shaft, and filled the adjacent stairway with deadly fumes. It was almost impossible to negotiate in the dark smoke. Several brave people endeavored to get people out through the smoke-filled building. Some were able to escape via the fire-escape. However, the longer people were stuck on the upper floors, the more difficult it became to reach them. Also, the fire-escape became damaged by flames.
Up on the sixth story, there was a dispatcher for the Associated Press. He was urged to escape before the fire engulfed the building. He even had a chance to escape with two groups but declined. Unable to resist the power of this breaking story, he stayed on the sixth floor sending out sensational reports. These reports went out by his telegraph all over the world describing the fire and his desperate situation. People gathered to watch the fire in the streets below. Firemen fought the blaze. Throughout it all, the dispatcher continued to send out his headlines. “I am in the Tribune building,” he telegraphed, “in the sixth story, and the building is on fire. The fire has now reached the second story; I am in the sixth.” In a little while he sent another message: “The fire has now reached the third story; I am in the sixth.” Soon he telegraphed: “The fire has reached the fourth story; I am in the sixth.” Soon again the message came over the wires: “The fire has reached the fifth story; I am in the sixth.” Thousands of people heard about the man sending out telegraphs who was stranded on the sixth floor. More and more people gathered at the building, hoping for the best.
Finally, when the fire and smoke were about to overtake him, the dispatcher ran across to another room and reached the fire-escape. He found, to his dismay, that the fire-escape was engulfed in flames. With the stairway, elevator, and fire-escape all blocked, he pondered what to do. Opening a window, he looked up to see a long guy-wire attached from the Tribune Building to the building next door. Knowing it was his only hope, he grabbed the wire and began to make his way to the next building. People watched from the streets below. Everyone grew quiet, in breathless suspense. He didn’t make it far, tumbling down to his death six stories below.
After telling a version of this story, R.A. Torrey said the following words at a revival that were later written down for posterity: “Men and women, you are in a burning building to-night, you are in a doomed world; but thank God, there is a way of escape, but only one, Christ Jesus. That way is open tonight, but no one knows how long that way will be left open. I beg of you, do not neglect it, and then when it is too late lay hold on some poor guy-rope of human philosophy, and go a little way, and then let go, and plunge, not six stories down, but on and on and on through the awful, unfathomable depths of the gulf of eternal despair. Men and women, turn to Christ tonight! “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Anecdotes and Illustrations, p. 144)
When R.A. Torrey spoke to his audience about the burning Tribune building, he wanted them to understand that their salvation couldn’t wait. God wanted them to commit their souls that very night. Yes, there are times to wait patiently upon the Lord. There are also times when waiting could cost you everything.
The scripture for today from the pages of Ecclesiastes bears witness to the fact that some things in life should not be delayed. God expects you to do them right away. Ecclesiastes 5:4 teaches that “when you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through”. Don’t make God wait for your vow to be completed. If God wants you to do something NOW, to wait is to fail God. If the time is right for God’s work to be accomplished, who are you to put it off?
When I am summoned to the bedside of someone who is dying, I never know what will happen. Some people just want to say a prayer. Some want the company. Some, when alone with me, will open up and bear a burden that has been haunting them for some time. As I walked into the hospital room of a man in his eighties named Clarence, I was met with a smile. Doctors gave the man 24 hours to live. He had an aneurism too large to be repaired with an emergency operation. It could burst at any moment.
I pulled up a chair and sat facing Clarence in the bed. We chatted for a bit. Then, he went quiet. After a few moments, he told me a sad story about one of his greatest regrets in life.
After the untimely death of his parents, Clarence was raised by his grandparents. He loved growing up on their farm out in the country. He cherished the many memories of that place, even though his parents were absent. Clarence so loved his grandparents that he asked his grandfather to be the best man at his wedding. When his wife became pregnant with their first child, Clarence told his grandparents before telling another soul. He adored his grandparents.
At that moment in the retelling of his story, Clarence swallowed hard. Then, tears filled his eyes. Slowly, he got the words out. When his grandfather lay dying, Clarence was notified by family. Instead of leaving right away to drive the two hours to get there, Clarence finished his meeting at work and took time to arrange for his secretary to make some calls. He even answered several emails. Finally, Clarence hopped in his car for the drive, but it was too late. His beloved grandfather died fifteen minutes before Clarence arrived. The family told him that his grandfather’s last words were, “How long until Clarence gets here?” To this day, Clarence is ashamed of his delay that day. He regrets terribly that he dawdled instead of being there at the bedside of the grandfather he cherished.
Some things in life can’t wait. Some of the most important moments of your life will require your immediate action or attention. The scripture for today urges you to not delay in fulfilling a promise to God. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches that there is a “time and season for everything under the sun”. Some things in life take patience. Some things in life need to be done when the timing is right. God may light a fire under you when there is an immediate need. Don’t delay when God is wanting your immediate action or attention or response.
Is there something God needs you to change right now? Is there something you have been putting off that needs your attention? Don’t ignore it when God wants you to follow through immediately. God can see many things you cannot.