Have you ever ordered a Christmas gift on line and then waited and waited for your order to appear? Everything was paid for, but the package never arrived. Sometimes the person lost the order in cyberspace, but other times the person at the other end never got around to putting the package in the mail. How do you know when to wait and when to stop waiting and act? The writer of Ecclesiastes wrote there is a time for everything, including a time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
In 2 Kings 12, we see a story about just such a situation. Soon after young King Joash came to the throne, he ordered the priests to collect offerings to repair God’s Temple in Jerusalem. The priests gladly collected the money, but they never carried through on the repairs. By the 23rd year of Joash’s reign, the Temple was still not repaired!
After waiting more than two decades and watching the priests spend the money on their own needs instead of God’s house, Joash finally called them to account. He said, “Enough! From now on, all the money must be spent on getting the Temple in good condition.” He no longer left the work to the priests. He hired contractors to carry out the repairs.
When delay is due to sin and selfishness, we need to stop waiting and speak up!
PS: I head in for major spinal surgery today. Prayers are welcome! My husband Gene will continue to post these devotionals for me while I am in the hospital!
