Rushing
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything…Philippians 4:5, ESV
rushing: moving with urgent haste
When I hear the word rushing, so many things come to mind. But one morning, as I lay in bed, the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about rushing. I heard Him say, Rushing can move you out of alignment with Me, and it can cause you to take on the emotions of Satan. Think about it—when you’re rushing, emotions like anxiety, frustration, and confusion start to overwhelm you. Peace disappears, and fear is usually not far behind.
I decided to look up the definition of rushing, and it included the word haste. The Holy Spirit then prompted me to research the word haste and find scriptures that mention it. Below, I’ve listed a few of the verses I discovered:
Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. Proverbs 19:2, ESV
The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. Proverbs, 21:5, ESV
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. Proverbs 28:20, ESV
Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs, 29:20, ESV
In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. Exodus 12:11, ESV
We learn based on scripture that if we are not being directed by God to move quickly we can easily bring disaster on ourselves. Rushing is not apart of God’s plan.
My husband was sharing with me how he lost some items while packing up after a gig. He’s in a band, and after they had finished their set, he was eager to get home. As he hurried back and forth, loading his car in the dark, an item fell out of his pocket. He didn’t see it, and it was lost. While he was describing what happened, the Holy Spirit said, “He was rushing.”
As my husband told his story, my mind reflected on a time when I was working downtown. During breaks, I would take walks around Capitol Park. I used to walk really fast to fit in as many laps as I could before my break ended. One day, the Holy Spirit spoke to me, saying, “Slow down.” I slowed my pace, but then I heard Him say it again, “Slow down.” So, I slowed even more. Then He said it a third time. I finally asked, “God, how slow do You want me to walk?” He replied, “Slow enough so that you are walking with Me.” He reminded me of a time I saw sheep grazing in the grass not far from where we live. He asked, “Did you see any of the sheep rushing around? Did you ever see the shepherd rushing around?” Of course, the answer was no.
He said, “I am your Shepherd, and you are My sheep. The sheep follow the Shepherd. If I do not tell you to make haste, the pushing is from the enemy.” Then He reminded me of the story of Pharaoh’s army chasing Israel into the Red Sea. The Bible says that Israel walked on dry ground (Exodus 14:29). They didn’t run! Bible says Israel walked on dry ground. Exodus 14:29 They did not run!
Scripture teaches us that if we are not directed by God to move quickly, we can easily bring disaster upon ourselves. Rushing is not a part of God’s plan.
Key points:
Slow down and walk hand in hand with God.
God is never in a rush.
Pause, and seek God first when you feel the need to rush.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
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