It’s three days now until my new book The Gospel-Centered Life in Exodus for Students releases and I have yet to see it. In fact, until yesterday I didn’t even know if it would make it to me in time for the big day. Thankfully, I didn’t plan a book signing party as I have in the past or I would’ve been stressed. As it is, I have been anyway.
Back in May I solicited a group of youth leaders from around the country who would get early copies to read and then help promote it upon release. From past experience I expected I would get the books about a month out, which would give them plenty of leeway. So I bought mailing envelopes, printed out address labels and drafted the enclosure letter in anticipation. That was early June, (No surprise “discipline” my #1 on the StrengthsFinder) before I knew about the last-minute change of printers that threw off the schedule.
Such are the plans of man.
And my idol of control.
I wanted the books according to my time-table and strategic marketing plan. Just like I want the content of an upcoming talk to come together for me now while I have time to work on it, not in August when life gets busier again! And as I previously wrote how under my control we would’ve had an actual church building years before now.
I am just like the Israelites. The people I wrote about in Exodus who thought their plans were so much better than God’s. We see it throughout the book – from slavery to the Red Sea and into the wilderness, where they snubbed their noses at the manna He gave to sustain them and built/worshipped a golden calf when Moses took too long coming down off the mountain. By that point in their journey they should’ve know God could not be controlled (as should I). But they grew restless, faithless and impatient (so do I).
For good reason God called them a stiff-necked people, which according to the dictionary is worse than you might think. Webster’s defines stiff-necked as “lordly, masterful, self-asserting, authoritarian, dominant, narcissistic, prideful, and self-centered.” Ouch. But certainly accurate by how they kept trying to take things into their own hands, as their own god. And I am no different. None of us are.
We too resurrect false gods and try to take control. We too think our ways better than God’s. But you know what’s amazing? He continued in His faithfulness to the Israelites, and He treats me the same!
Praise God he doesn’t count my idol of control against me, but patiently endures with me. He gently shows me in numerous ways my sin, not to rub it in my face but to draw me deeper in dependence of Him.
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My book will release on Monday, whether the marketing happens in the way I had planned really doesn’t matter. God will deliver this book to the people who need the specific truths about who He is and revealed in Exodus at just the right time. He is faithful.
How thankful I am I don’t have to be in control. If I could just remember that.
***Order today The Gospel-Centered Life in Exodus. Have it next week. Releases Monday, July 23rd!***
Totally understand! So many verses about waiting on God. I have to read them over and over and over and remind myself minute by minute sometimes God is in control. It’s soooo hard! Thanks for sharing your struggle! I know we can all relate!
Thank you for making good quality bible studies for teens. These are so needed! Gospel Centered Life was life changing for me years ago! I look forward to doing the student studies with my teens!
And I just looked and it’s sold out on Amazon! That’s great!
Thank you for commenting! It’s always nice to hear from others who did identify with a blog post. As for the Exodus book, it is available right now through my publisher- New Growth Press – with best price & free shipping. But Amazon will restock soon!