TOO EARLY TO TELL
UPDATE: Linda was admitted to the hospital on Thursday for a couple of days with a bladder infection. I’m with her at the hospital as much as possible, so this week’s article is a classic “rerun” from my book Thriving in Troubled Times, which is available on Amazon. To purchase it, click on the link below.
An old man and his son lived together in a small village. One night their stallion broke down the corral and escaped. His neighbors came and said, “Oh that’s bad.” He wisely replied, “Maybe it is; maybe it isn’t. It’s too early to tell.” The next morning the stallion returned, leading three mares. This time the townsfolk said, “Oh that’s good.” Again the old man replied, “It’s too early to tell.”
The following day his son fell off one of the mares and broke his leg. Ever ready to offer their opinions, the villagers cried, “Oh, that’s bad.” The old man stuck to his mantra. “It’s too early to tell.” After that, the king sent his soldiers and enlisted all the young men to fight in a war…except the old man’s son who broke his leg. Care to guess what the villagers said, and how the old man replied?
“It’s too early to tell.” We should have that phrase inscribed across our lives. Don’t assume simply because something looks bad, it’s the end of the story. Scripture overflows with dozens of examples of those who had every reason to believe “that’s bad,” only to discover “it’s too early to tell.”
Think of David. He was anointed as future king of Israel. (That’s good.) Then king Saul tried to kill him. (That’s bad.) But he escaped (That’s good.) Then he hid in a cave from Saul (That’s bad.) Eventually, he took possession of the throne. (That’s good.) Each of these points were snapshots in David’s life. None represents the full picture.
In the midst of this stressful “ping-pong match,” David settled his anxious heart with this assurance of God: “You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion. I leave my destiny and its timing in your hands.” (Psalms 16:5, TPT)
Whatever you’re experiencing at this moment, don’t assume it’s settled. Who knows how God might take what we define as bad and use it for good? Is there the slightest possibility that God just might have a broader picture of our future than we do? We all know the answer to that question. Next time our back’s against the wall and we find ourselves muttering, “That’s bad,” pause for a moment. Remember this story. Thank God He’s working in our lives. Put your trust in Him, because “It’s too early to tell.”
Principle: Before we decide the outcome of a situation, remember “It’s too early to tell.”
Ponder:
What situations are you in the midst of, in which you’ve already assumed a negative outcome?
When have you encountered a similar situation which turned out well?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Psalms 18 & 34.
Prayer: “God, I praise you for seeing the end before the beginning. I place my life's circumstances in your hands, especially those where it’s too early for me to tell the outcome.
Check out my books Thriving in Quarantine and Thriving in Troubled Times on Amazon. Here are the links: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BGDW2NV
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P3RYM5R/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_VrXVFbVVZNEVA
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