Haste, Part 4

We come now to the last meditation in this series on the subject of haste. In these meditations I have repeatedly told you that the resolution to the problem of haste is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is evident from the text that we have been considering.

Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Now the antidote to making haste is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the tried cornerstone. So much of our haste arises from a lack of faith. If you find yourself always rushing about, take time to stop, step aside from the rat race, and ask yourself why you are in such a hurry to do everything. You may respond that it is because you have so much to do and so little time to do it. But have you ever considered if you do indeed have to do all you think you have to do? If you really take time to ponder the path of your feet and consider your ways, you will find that a lot of what you are doing is not necessary. Many things can either be delayed, or delegated, or left undone.

Now look behind all that you are doing and ask yourself why you are doing it. You may find that what is driving you is a need to achieve more and more to feel good about yourself. In this case you are finding your identity in your accomplishments instead of your relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. The cure for this is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe what His word tells you about who you are in Him. Find your identity in what Christ declares about you rather than in your achievements. Don’t make the mistake that Israel made.

Romans 10:1 ¶Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.

3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

In trying to make themselves righteous, Israel was zealously trying to accomplish what Christ had already accomplished. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, Scripture declares that you are already righteous before God by what Christ did for you. Hear it!

Acts 13:39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

If you belong to Christ, you are a child of God and an heir of glory (Romans 8:16-17). Believe that and you will not be so driven to make a name and an identity for yourself.

Or perhaps you are rushing about doing so much because you feel you need to be in control of everyone and everything around you. You only feel secure if you are in control. Or maybe you are insecure about the future and you are rushing madly about trying to make every dollar you can so as to be protected against a possible coming calamity. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is again the cure for this. Trust the fact that all things are put under the feet of Christ, not yours, and that He is Head over all things to the church (Ephesians 1:22). He has the kingdom of Satan, this world, its nations and their governments, its financial markets, and everything else under control. He knows what they are doing and what they intend. They can do nothing without His knowledge and permission. If you are part of the church, Christ is governing all things with a view to your benefit. You can confidently let go the reins and commit everything to his control. As for the fears about the future, hear the words of our Saviour.

Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

The best you can do is to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, to work, to be frugal, to save as best you can, and then do not worry about tomorrow. And whatever you cannot do, you cannot do. The limit of your ability is not the limit of God’s ability! As surely as you haste to get rich quickly, you will err.

Proverbs 28:20 ¶A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

Or perhaps you are rushing about because you are trying to measure up to somebody else. Maybe you are running the children to this event and that event because everybody else is doing it and you think this is necessary to be a good parent. You are measuring yourself by others. The apostle Paul plainly tells that that people who do this are not wise.

2 Corinthians 10:12 ¶For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Or maybe you are trying to fulfill the demands that others place upon you that the Lord did not put upon you. Our Lord plainly instructed us not to let others impose grievous burdens upon us.

Matthew 23:1 ¶Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

In contrast our Lord says, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Trust Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life and serve Him rather than men. Take your direction from Him. “He that believeth on him shall not make haste.”

Can you not begin to see that faith in Jesus Christ our Lord is the remedy for the life of haste? Behind so much of our rushing is a lack of faith. May God increase the faith of us all so that we shall not make haste and, therefore, shall not be confounded.