"God's Urgent Restraint"

I read that phrase in a devotional this morning, and my mind clung to it.  Almighty God holding me back, for my own good.  The goodness that causes a mother to hold her child tightly to keep him from making a huge mistake... touching a flame, running into the road, punching the daylights out of his brother!  Urgent restraint.  "Don't do that!"  "Don't go there!"


Then there's the side that says, "Not yet."  Moving forward is a good thing, but not until it's time.  Holding me back from what He has purposed in my heart to accomplish.  Too soon would be too bad.  For me, for Him, for others.  I think of a tree... a pitiful tree in my back yard.  Not given the chance to sink its roots into the foundation, the poor thing is struggling to produce leaves that might eventually bear fruit.  There are these teeny, tiny, too-late-in-the-season sprouts sticking out of the ends of twig branches.  Try as it might, I'm afraid the tree will end up only partially covered in leaves by the time summer arrives.

I didn't take the time to prepare the ground.  I prepared a hole just barely large enough to fit the ball of roots into.  The bottom is rock solid, and the sides are just as hard!  The Lord is a much more diligent Gardener!  He's preparing the ground... the sides and the bottom... of my heart, of our community, of the ones who will join in the work... so that His glory might be revealed!  Not mine.  So that His work may be done.  Not mine.

Lord, help me to trust You in the process.  Let me not pull away.  You are so good.