“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:9-10 NLT)
You’ve heard it said that “Timing is everything”, but perhaps a better way of saying it might be: “God’s timing is everything”, because if it’s not ordained of the Lord, it will be of no avail regardless of how good it is. Timing speaks of opportunity and too often the doors of opportunity close quickly, especially if we’re not paying attention. But how do we know when it’s opportunity or simply a waste of time?
The only way to know for sure is to ask the Lord and trust His leading. Jesus said in John 10:27: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” When the Shepherd of our heart tells us to respond, we don’t wait, we respond, trusting His voice and following His directives. We don’t have to question timing or anything else, we simply obey because that’s what we’ve been instructed to do.
“Yeh, but haven’t people done some very weird and wrong things because they thought God told them to do them?” Yes, unfortunately, they have, that’s why it’s critical that we know God’s Word because the Lord will never instruct us to do something that’s contrary to His Word. If there’s ever a doubt, confirm what you’re hearing through other verses in the Bible and/or consult someone you trust whom you know is a student of God’s Word.
Our confidence in the Lord must include confidence in His eternal timing. He knows everything in advance, so nothing ever catches Him by surprise. He knows our thoughts before we have them and our plans before we make them. Doesn’t it stand to reason we should consult the Lord before we plan or carry out something that would not be a source of honor to Him.
“Yeh, but I’ve been praying for my lost loved ones for years and they’re still not saved. Isn’t it His will that none perish without Him?” Here’s the truth – God’s will isn’t always done! God doesn’t insist on having His own way. Because He’s given us free will we can choose to disobey the Lord and go our own way. While believing prayer is behind the salvation of everyone who will be in heaven, our prayers do not obligate God to violate another person’s will. Then why do we even pray? Because prayer is our lifeline!
Robert Rothwell gives us insight when he writes: “God has a plan and a purpose for the world and governs history such that everything from the least to the greatest contributes to the achievement of that plan and purpose.” One day everything we question will be crystal clear. Often someone says something like: “When I get to heaven, I’ve got a whole list of questions I’m going to ask the Lord.” Throw your list away, you won’t need it, because when we get to heaven we’ll have the mind of Christ, so, everything will be clear to us. We won’t have a single question, because we’ll already know the answer.
In retrospect we’ll see every circumstance of our life was perfectly timed and fit perfectly with every other event in history, not only in our lives, but everyone else’s. “Untimely” deaths will be seen in their proper context and understood without question. That’s a tragedy of nonbelief, those who don’t know and trust the Lord will spend eternity questioning everything, but never finding answers, while those of us who know and love Him will have every question answered with perfect clarity and understanding, including, but not limited to, why He chose the timing of everything He allowed.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
