Pt. 3 - Later
Introduction
You may think these shelves are full but even if they were completely empty they still couldn't hold the number of books self-published just online in one year. Did you know that in 2018 the total number of print and e-
books that were self-published was 1.68 million in the US alone? That's over 4,500 self-published books being created each day. That doesn't even include the thousands of books published by publishing houses. Everyone is talking. Everyone has something to say. Words have become abundant. Truth is harder to discover, only because it is now surrounded by more lies. That is certainly true spiritually too. The one Scripture says is the father of lies, has become more prolific and polished in his presentation of deception. This is why think it is so critically important to our spiritual survival to uncover the words the enemy has in his dictionary so that we can learn to discern when he is talking even in the avalanche of words we are covered with daily. I am convinced that our enemy uses a small number of words to try to destroy us. I think this is the case because he has proven that we fall prey to the same words over and over again and so there is no need to adjust or learn a new vocabulary. The words he continues to use are effective.
We have talked about the word never. We have uncovered the small but deadly word if. Today, I want us to us to look at another word that may be one of the most insidious in its consequences because of its long reach. This word not only impacts our today but its tentacles stretch forward and steal our future and destiny. One of the deadliest aspects of this word is that we have come to accept it as totally innocent so that when the enemy utters this word we never even stop to think past this moment and what it could mean later on for us.
Are you ready? Wonder what word could possibly be this dangerous and deadly? OK, hang on I will tell you later.
I want to take you to an account in Scripture that is important. Wait . . . did you even catch it? I used the deadly word. Like I said we have come to the place where we don't even notice it anymore. The word I was referencing was the word "later!" The devil has learned to insert that word so well that we lay down any sense of urgency or uneasiness with delay.
Jesus attacks the concept of later in a parable He told. It is found in:
Matthew 25:1-10
“God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep. “In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bride-groom’s here! Go out and greet him!’ “The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’ “They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’ “They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.
I recognize this parable certainly speaks to preparation and anticipation. However, if you take another look you can also see that Jesus is literally showing us that putting off what was supposed to be done today until tomorrow - what should have been right now when put off until later is deadly.
Jesus teaches us that delay destroys.
The devil has learned that if he can whisper later to us and cause us to push off what we are told, commanded or instructed to do today until tomorrow, then we will miss the blessings attached to the command because we will miss the window of that opportunity. That door is suddenly locked when we try to access what lies inside. The door was locked because they were late. How many of us lose simply because we are late?
I have said, as have others, the opportunity of a lifetime is only good in the lifetime of the opportunity.
Jesus confronts "later" again when He encounters the man who was lame by the pool for 38 years. The man's willingness to accept delay and later has resulted in year after year of sickness and now threatens to keep him sick even in the presence of God Himself. You can't wait! Don't delay!
The wise man pulls back the covers on later in Proverbs 10:5 - Know the importance of the season you’re in
and a wise son you will be. But what a waste when an incompetent son sleeps through his day of opportunity!
We cannot become comfortable with later, when now is demanded!
What are you putting off that would prepare you for your miracle today?
Our enemy knows is that if we will listen to the word later it will lead us to procrastinate right into the postponement of a miracle. Procrastination will place us right into a prolonged pause. How many of us have ever said, "I can do what He said to do tomorrow" and then we wake up 3 months later, 3 years later, 30 years later to discover that later caused us to lose what He said we would gain by obedience?
I want to remind you that delayed obedience is still disobedience. Many blessings are birthed or broken, sealed or stolen, fixed or forfeited simply by timing.
I know we are told to wait on the Lord and we will renew our strength however, because of the simple word later I think a lot of times the Lord is waiting on us! And what was lack of execution in one season becomes an excuse in another.
In 2 Corinthians 6:2 Paul said, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." or in another version "Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don’t put it off; don’t frustrate God’s work by showing up late." Could it be that Paul's statement here addresses more than just the saving of our souls and extends saving every area of our spiritual and daily life? There is an accepted time and an appointed time. And to put it simply, procrastination is pride, because it assumes you know the future. We act like we know tomorrow will come and be an accepted time for action.
The word later doesn't sound like that big of a deal until you begin to unmask the consequences when God begins to talk to us.
God says speak. We hear and then say later.
God says give. We hear and then say later.
God says forgive. We hear and then say later.
God says help. We hear and then say later.
God says stop. We hear and then say later.
God says go. We hear and then say later.
God says pray, read, fast, witness and we hear and then say later.
God says He will heal, set free, deliver and we hear the promises but become satisfied with later!
We cannot delay our obey!
Why? Because delay opens the door to defeat. The Israelites in the Old Testament were commanded to march for 11 days from Egypt into the Promised Land. However, their delay to obey cost them 40 years. And worse that delay impacted not only them but also their children! Delay can lead to defeat that can go beyond today and reach into our future and even into the future of our children. So, when we hear the word "later" we must ask ourselves will delay impact me and also will delay lead to defeat in those who come after me?
What we put off today can put us in prison tomorrow. However, I believe God wants to change the enemy's word later to now! When God says something we will learn to obey now. We will begin to act now on what God has said to do we will find out that blessings follow.
I want to challenge what have you been instructed to do that you have put off? Write a book? Write a song? Make a call? Start a routine? Go back and obey now! Don't think I will think about this later. Do it right now!
Prayer!
