Instant coffee is gross.

I'm a lover of all things coffee...espresso, lattes, macchiatos, chocolate espresso beans, etc. But nothing can quite trump a good, bold, dark cup of coffee.

Scared?

You should be. It's quite an affinity I have for a good cup of coffee.

I really like discovering a small, obscure brand of coffee that is unique. However, like the rest of the masses have grown to love Starbucks. Having worked in a Starbucks cafe, I have come to appreciate pretty much everything on the menu. That is, until they introduced their newest and most 'innovative' line of coffee...instant coffee.

What?! Starbucks introduction of instant coffee makes little sense to me. Suddenly, I view Starbucks as the overpriced, inflated brand that they've become.

There is no comparison between a good cup of coffee brewed with timing and accuracy and a pile of lifeless coffee particles poured into hot water.

Good things just take time.

I was reading this morning in Exodus 23 and this same thought hit me. Not all of God's solutions are instantaneous.

'But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.' (Exodus 23:29-30)

At this point, God had miraculously saved His people from one of the most dominate and feared kingdoms in human history. He parted the seas for them to walk through on dry land and provided daily food for the entire nation while they wandered through deserts as He began to lead them to an inhabited land that He promised to them. Since God sent Moses to liberate them from Egypt, they saw God act almost instantly, deliberately and dominantly. Now as they stood in the desert, He reassured them that He was going to go before them and push their enemies from them, but in a slower, more calculated way.

Hmmm...

I thought about what God was saying in verses 29-30 and the context of the people's situation. If I'm part of the millions of people standing in the desert, I'm hot, sweaty, tired, covered in sand, oh and, hungry. What gives? If the promised land is so nice, comfortable and desirable, then why must we wait?

God's plans are not restricted to resources or time. He invites us to partner with Him and join in. God has placed dreams and desires in your heart that, if you follow Him, will happen. His plans in your life are inevitable. But His cause will require constant cooperation, persistence and our continual effort. The good news, you can't do it alone.
The success of His plans may come slowly and step by step, but they will certainly happen. Do not concern yourself with momentary worries about the outcome. Instead, partner daily with God and keep in mind that He never needs to stop or take a break. He is constantly involved in advancing the plan.

God's plans, like good coffee, are not instant. His actions and plans are timeless.
(How's that for a good analogy?! Stir that in your coffee and drink it.)


one love...one life.
Guy