Tag: Slow

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Let him set the pace

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by David Dvořáček on Unsplash

Some “through the Bible” thoughts from Isaiah 52.

You shall not go out in haste,
    and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
    and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 52:12)

In context, as God promises to redeem, restore, and return his people from exile, the journey will be different from the Egyptian exodus. There’s no hurry. You’re not running for your lives. God goes ahead of you and God’s got your back. There’s no need to rush when you’re surrounded by God.

I paused at those words because it’s hard to slow down. We rush through life, impatiently waiting for microwaves, traffic lights, package delivery, return on investments, food at a restaurant, someone to finish up in the bathroom, pain medication to kick in, popcorn at the movie theater, and the dog who must stop at every mailbox post.

I believe one characteristic of a mature faith is letting God set the pace. That could mean waiting to see what he’ll do. It might mean obeying a clear instruction without delay. Don’t get out ahead of God. Don’t lag behind either.

What’s that look like? Well, for one thing God is “slow to anger” (Exodus 34:6). At the empty tomb, the angel told the women, “Go quickly and tell his disciples that [Jesus] has risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:7). Jesus said, “I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20). But one fruit of the Spirit is patience (Galatians 5:22).

Once the Israelites got out of Egypt, God set the pace, leading them with a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. When he moved, they moved. When he was still, they set up camp and stayed put.

i guess you just have to pay attention. Where do you see God at work? In what situations does he seem to be taking his good old sweet time?

When you are walking or running or biking with someone, it’s proper to let the slower set the pace. That way you always stay together. That’s good advice for followers of Jesus, too.

Posted in Life

The slowest way

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Photo by Luca Ambrosi on Unsplash

All I had to do was mail a small package, returning an unwanted product. I usually use the self-serve kiosks at the post office. Ah, one is open. I touch the screen and get this message, “Unable to do anything right now.” Fine. I’ll wait. But the guy at the other kiosk is standing there, with a package on the scale, trying to figure out what to do next.

OK, I’ll go wait in line. Three people ahead of me. Sweet. I can do this. Within minutes, a hand goes up and it’s my turn. I step up to the window, hand over my package, and say, “Send it the slowest way.” I get a chuckle from the post office worker as well as the people around me.

In the past, I might ask for the cheapest or quickest way to mail something. This time, I didn’t care about the arrival time. Put it on the bottom of the pile, and load it onto your slowest truck, the one likely to break down on the way. Whatever.

How often do I ask for the slowest something? Rarely. I want the shortest line with the most experienced cashier at the grocery store. I drive up to the window for fast food. I like my GPS to take me on the fastest route possible. I can read a book much faster with the Kindle app on my phone than holding a printed copy.

When is it better to slow down a little? To take a slow rather than a brisk walk. Prepare food in a slow cooker rather than the microwave. Read a book slowly and thoughtfully. Wait in the longer line and talk to someone.

What else can I do in the slowest way?