Slow vs. Late Dominion – Part 1
By Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of August 7, 2022
This devotion is purposed to encourage those who feel like they aren't yet where they would like to be in this new season.
First of all, this new season is just beginning. Therefore, every manifestation God has for us won't happen all at once at the forefront.
Secondly, God's timeline will not short-cut our development in Him. Because, to Him, our transformation is more important than our tasks.
Thirdly, revival begins with repentance. Therefore, it's important to ask Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal sins that are unknown to us so that we can come into greater authenticity by confessing them to Him.
An important key to remember here, according to 2 Peter 3:9 NIV, is that "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
The Word "slow" in this scripture (Strong's #1019, bradunó) means that God is never late with His appointed times. He is not slack and does not loiter. He is patient with us, which means He is long-suffering and forbearing. This means that God refuses to "retaliate with anger, because of human reasoning" (HELPS Word-studies).
In other words, even if we have gotten off-track due to our own rationale (or self-righteousness) above God’s instructions, God gives us opportunity to turn back to Him and holds us in His salvation of hope, like a stray lamb.
Holy Spirit will work in us to lead us to repent of anything and everything that we have participated in that has slowed us down, so that we align with Him for promises to manifest. In other words, He makes a way for us, no matter where we are on His timetable.
He is committed to remain with us and not leave us. So, if we haven't already, we need to settle this in our minds and hearts.
On the contrary, the enemy can try to convince us that it’s hopelessly too late for us, that we’ve missed it already or that we will miss it. He can try to convince us that God has given up on us, because we didn’t get it right the first time or enough times. The devil can try to provoke us with fear to get us out of faith.
But it can help to know is that there are other definitions of the Word “late.” In Holy Scripture, “late” can mean the present, henceforth and hereafter (Strong’s #3568, nun). “Late” can mean “now, in light of what has gone before” (HELPS Word-studies). So, in this, we can see hope for a new beginning! We can realize that we’re not too far gone at all! And, in fact, we’re right on time to partner with God and His plan forward from right where we are.
And there’s even more…
Another meaning of “late” is “at the beginning” and “even, in the end” (Strong’s #3796, opse). So, this brings to mind God as our Alpha and Omega, our Beginning and End. Our Finisher, who fulfills His promises to us! Our Completer, who helps us catch up to join Him along His extension of time. Our Redeemer, who invites us to walk out His saving-grace, where we are reminded that God (as Love) never gives up on us (1 Corinthians 13:7).
If you look up the word “late” on Dictionary.com, you will see that every definition contains an element of the continuance of time. In other words, an invitation or event doesn’t just stop due to lateness in the worst sense of the word. It continues on to become the most recent invitation or event.
So, when the devil whispers, “It’s too late,” we need to remember that he is a lying fool, who doesn’t want us to live in God’s grace-power. It’s important that we capture those lies as mental seeds and cast them out. Then declare God’s truth about who God is, who we are in Christ and that God will help us finish well and righteously on time.
God has already factored in our weakness to our timeline. Joshua's army at Ai is a great example. The story begins in Joshua chapter 7.
There, you will see that, no sooner did they make it into the Promised Land to fight their very first battle at Ai, when the worst of humanity revealed itself through a fighter, whose name, Achan, literally means trouble (Strong’s #5912, Akan). The big mess he created took time and a process to clean up. But God was with Joshua to help him sort through it all.
The point here is that God didn't cancel His plans for the Israelites because they had to take time out of fighting for their promise to deal with this sin. No, actually, this was part of their fight for holiness! God knew this sidebar event would happen before they even entered into battle.
And yet, God didn't abandon Joshua in the mission to which they were called and assigned. God didn't delay them. No, He carried them through the situation all the way to victory. And with a new strategy to go and re-do the mission righteously.
God grew them to become stronger in Him in this journey.
So, the army returned to Ai. They did it God's way and they experienced manifest victory.
Friends, there’s more to this story. So, join me next week for Part 2 of Slow vs. Late Dominion.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
Originally published Sunday, 07 August 2022.
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