Have you ever sat in line at Starbucks at 7:36 a.m., waiting for the line to inch forward just a little so that you can finally order your favorite drink and get to work on time?
To be honest, that’s me nearly every Monday morning. I sit there waiting and praying that the line will move just a little faster so that it doesn’t make me late for work. But no matter how much I will it, the line only moves once the barista is ready for me.
That’s how life can feel sometimes. We trust God to give us the answers to our prayers while simultaneously checking our watches over and over again thinking,
“Are you ready yet, God? I am! I’ve got somewhere to be. Can we hurry this along?”
And then sometimes we go even further and say,
“Never mind, God. I’ve got this one. But thanks anyway!”
Only for things to unravel into a mess we never saw coming.
Why does this happen?
Why do we rush ahead or take matters into our own hands?
And why does it almost always turn out completely opposite of what God intended for us?
Let me tell you why…
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
The fact is, there is our timing and then there is God’s timing. And as much as we think we know better than God… we really don’t.
A Lesson From Abraham and Sarah
In our handy-dandy instruction book — the Bible — God gives us so many examples of people who tried to speed up His promises, and how it often created more chaos than peace.
Let’s go back a few thousand years.
Once upon a time, there was a husband and wife — Abraham and Sarah — who were very old in age. I’m talking “our grandparents” kind of old. So old, in fact, that they had given up on the idea of ever having children.
But then one day, God made a shocking promise:
“You will have a son, and your descendants will be more numerous than the stars in the sky.”
Now that’s a promise.
And for a while, they believed it.
But then…
They waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
Until finally Sarah began to doubt. She got tired of the Starbucks line, so to speak. So she handed her servant Hagar over to Abraham and said,
“Here. Let’s just do it this way.”
Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn son — but not the son God had promised.
And instead of peace and fulfillment, what followed was bitterness, jealousy, and division. Sarah grew resentful. Hagar felt rejected. And eventually, Sarah had Hagar and Ishmael sent away into the desert.
(You can read the full story in Genesis 16 and 21.)
And Here’s the Wild Part…
Ishmael wasn’t just a side note. He became the father of twelve sons, tribal leaders who are historically connected to many Arab nations.
Isaac, Sarah’s son, was born later — just as God had promised. He became the father of Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. Yes, that Israel.
And that one decision — to rush God’s timing — may have contributed to a tension that has lasted thousands of years.
Many believe the deep-rooted conflict between Arab nations and Israel traces back to this very family divide. The Bible even hints at this, saying of Ishmael:
“He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”
— Genesis 16:12
Is this the only reason for conflict in the Middle East?
It’s hard to say — modern politics, culture, and history play huge roles.
But spiritually and symbolically?
Yes, it’s a vivid picture of what happens when we step ahead of God’s plan, thinking we can “help Him along.”
Reflection:
- What areas in your life feel stuck, like the line just isn’t moving fast enough?
- Are you tempted to create your own solution instead of waiting for God’s best?
- Is there a situation where you’ve already taken the shortcut and are now dealing with unexpected consequences?
Application for Today:
Let’s be real — God doesn’t always work on our timeline.
But He always works for our good.
So the next time you’re tempted to rush, to force, to “just fix it yourself,”
remember Abraham and Sarah.
Remember the Starbucks line.
And remind yourself that the wait is worth it when God is the one preparing the drink.
Because when God fulfills His promises, they’re always served right on time — and far better than we ever could have made them ourselves.
