Do you ever feel like you are on the clock? It seems like there is a time for everything in our day. We set an alarm for a time to get up. We have a time for breakfast, school or work start times, quitting time, bedtime, and my list could go on and on.
I was taking one of my granddaughters to school this morning, and we left a little later than normal. As we were driving up, she reminded me that she had two minutes to get to her class before she would be tardy and have consequences. She was definitely checking the clock for time, along with a little anxious fear.
On my way home, I recalled a scripture from Romans 5:6 which says, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Let that sink in - at just the right time. There is security in knowing that God's clock and His timing are perfect.
I think, unfortunately, we have grown accustomed to a "right now" lifestyle. We look for the shortest line in the grocery store to get in and out quickly. We grab fast food to save time in the kitchen. We text to save time talking. We have smart devices that can turn on any appliance or even lock doors to save us time. It seems we want what we want, and we want everything as quickly as possible.
We seem to neglect God's timing. His PERFECT timing. The truth is His timing can be fast, or it can be what seems to us to be long and delayed, but it's always perfect. He just asks us to have faith and trust His timing. Faith is not about forcing things to match our timeline but trusting God's timing is perfect.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like my timing in life is either running in the fast lane or sitting in a waiting room. God says there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Scripture reminds me that God never works according to my timetable, but He always works according to His perfect timing. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 the Bible says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time."
We plant seeds, and then we take care of them to allow them time to grow into beautiful flowers. Some flowers take more time and care to grow. God plants the seeds in our lives, He tends to them, and in His time the seeds flourish to allow us to be the person He created us to be. Remember, God says in 2Peter 3:8, "Do not overlook the fact that one day to Him is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day." God's timing is not measured by clocks but by His perfect purpose. God is not rushed by my urgency or delayed by my circumstances. His timing is perfect because He is perfect.
Our waiting is never wasted when God is involved. If we allow it, He uses the waiting to strengthen our faith, mold and grow our character, and gives us time to depend on Him and not our own understanding. God's timing is always intentional - not a moment too early or a moment too late. Today, whatever you are waiting for or rushing to, place it back into God's hands. The One who created time knows exactly what we need and exactly when we need it. We can trust Him with both the waiting and the outcome because it always has a perfect purpose.
Let's learn to trust the process, enjoy and embrace the waiting, and believe that our God's clock is perfect. He holds all the time, and He holds our future. Also, just for the record, God doesn't enforce or allow tardies, because He is always on time.
___
Jill Johnson finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother, and Georgian. Jill is retired from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
Share with others
