Timing Is Everything

"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons." Galations 4:4-5

It was the first seven words that grabbed me like a vice this morning. "But when the time had fully come..." Just typing it again grabs me! We hear a lot about God's timing... but I think it's just so important to remember and to be reminded, because we live in a gotta have it yesterday world. We're so used to having what we want when we want it- we can walk into a fast food place, order dinner, and walk back out the door with a full meal for four in just five minutes. When we go shopping, if we don't feel like waiting in a long line to be checked out, we can do it ourselves at the self-check stations. When I want to buy something, I no longer even have to leave my home to do so, a few clicks online and I can buy my item- and I can have it shipped overnight if I really want.

But God's timing is SOOOO not our timing. When he's doing a work in us, learning His timing seems to be a huge part of it. And while there is a part of me that thinks that one of the reasons for that is to learn patience, I also think that it's to learn reliance. A person can be patient for so long, but then they try to figure things out on their own... I think of when we first really became discouraged with our previous church, we just were starting to feel that maybe there was something else out their that was meant for us. But at the same time, we ignored it, and instead of just waiting on God and trying to see what he had to say to us, we did the exact opposite, instead of waiting and turning to God, we got more involved, we found more to do, thinking that we could fix the problem we were feeling internally. Obviously God knew better, and when we finally understood what He wanted for us and what He was saying to us... well, the message could not have been any clearer had the words appeared in the sky to us. Turning to ourselves and relying on ourselves to fix the problem only made it worse for us... our quick fix didn't help fix what was actually happening. I do wonder how the events of the last year would have been different had we, way back in January, decided to just talk to God and see what He wanted for us and from us.

Yet God's plans for us are revealed in due course, but first, we need to spend time with Him,and in Him. That's one thing we can be sure of, if we will turn to him and rely on him, he will let us know what he wants from us. A few months back I went through a period of really wanting to know what God has planned for me. I think in the midst of change, I just wanted to prepare myself for more changes ahead if possible. So what I did was I started reading. I read a whole slew of books written by Christian authors, and they were all great books and fine reads... but it really wasn't what I should have been doing. My thirst and quest for knowledge drove me to turn to the words of men. What I should have done is turned to the words of God. Only the Bible will give me what I need, will sustain me while I wait on God's timing.

I still have no idea what God has for my future, but you know what? I'm okay with that, because He will show me what I need to do, when I need to do it. And instead of wrestling with myself and sweating it out, I am going to enjoy the season that I'm currently in. I am going to turn to the Words of God and read them, and digest them, and see what He has to say to me within them. God's timing is perfect, and I am going to rely on that completely. His plans for me may be twenty years in the future yet. In the meantime, I can get to know Him better by reading His Words. The Bible will sustain me while I wait and listen. And when the time is fully come for me, God will let me know.