Anyone who runs on ahead [of God] and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [who is not content with what He taught] does not have God; but he who continues to live in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ [does have God], he has both the Father and the Son. 2 John 1:9 (AMPC)
God has called us to walk with Him like close friends do. We are not to run after Him from behind neither to run ahead of Him.
We should keep in step with God.
Actually even following God is not walking from behind Him not even one single little step. Following God is moving with Him shoulder to shoulder. That’s why Jesus told us to take on His yoke. Two oxen can only be yoked together shoulder to shoulder and they can only move and function properly and effectively that way.
We can only move and flow with God shoulder to shoulder with Him.
The majority of people are not even aware that there’s such a thing as the will or plan of God for their life.
Then there are those who get to know and but don’t care. Yet some among those who endeavor to find out what God has for them, when they know it they run on ahead of God and they end up trying to fulfill it their own way and in their own time, so they miss God and mess up everything.
Abraham and Sarah knew it was God’s will for them to have a son because He promised them but they didn’t wait for God’s way and time. They got Ishmael their own way and ahead of God through the slave girl Hagar. Today Israel that descended from Isaac who was the child of promise is constantly in conflict with the descendants of Ishmael.
Moses too had it inwardly from his heart to do something to help his fellow Israelites who were in bondage and oppression in Egypt. But he rushed ahead of God taking matters in his own hands by killing an Egyptian who had mistreated an Israelite. He ended up fleeing for his life and spent forty years on the back side of the desert until God led him back to Egypt to carry out his assignment in divine time and in the divine way.
Running ahead of God is crawling backwards, wasting time and energy, postponing or delaying plans and purposes, not to mention producing bad results that would remain and be a thorn in the side of those who would come after us like Ishmael.
It’s not enough to know what God wants you do but the when, how, where, and with whom factors are also very important.
Stay and find out from God when to do what He has called you to do. Depend on Him to enable and guide you on how to do it. Let Him direct you where to carry out the assignment He’s given you.
After being forbidden to preach the Gospel in two different places Paul and his ministry team received divine instructions to go preach in Macedonia-Acts 16:6-10.
Enquire from Him about the team you’re to work with. Jesus first spent all night in prayer – communing with the Father, and then the next morning He chose the twelve disciples who would work with Him in ministry -Luke 6:12-16.
Being in step with God is a result of paying attention to, yielding to, and acting on the promptings or leadings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts -Romans 8:14,16
So take time in prayer, meditating in the Word, praise, thanksgiving, worship and having quiet times with the Lord. You’ll know what to do, when to do it, how to do it, with whom and where to do it.
Then you’ll walk in step with God and have good success.