“He may not come when you want Him, but He’s always right on time.”
I heard the above declaration for many years before I understood what the older saints meant. It was not until my personal experiences with God’s timing that I could make this same definitive declaration. And now that we are still in a global pandemic caused by coronavirus, it is an opportune time to be encouraged by revisiting biblical accounts of God’s timing. Using biblical examples, we have accounts of God’s intervention in the affairs of men that give us points of reference for revisiting God’s timeliness. In addition, this new year establishes a point of reference that will go down in world history.
Our concept of time, as we know it, is irrelevant to God’s plans and purposes! He is eternal — He has no beginning and no ending! Even the thought that man can control time relative to God’s sovereignty hinges on ignorance combined with arrogance. Consider this definition of time: the continuum of experience in which events pass from the future through the present to the past. Time is really for man’s benefit. God gave Moses no specific dates and times when he recorded the days of Creation. All we are told are the creative words God spoke that manifested in seven days. Calendars—years and dates originated with men by the grace and wisdom of God.
Time and calendars give us a point of reference for the realization and scheduling of events and experiences in life. For example, I was born November 7, 19--, at 1:10 p.m., referred to as my date of birth; however, I never provide the specific time or day. The date on my birth certificate validates the reality of my entrance into the world. This date only serves as a point of reference as needed to document age for legal or other specific reasons and celebratory events. We were all in the mind of an Eternal God before conception (Jeremiah 1:5). God purposed each of us to enter the earthly realm at a set (appointed) time so that we would be part of a specific generation and fulfill His purposes. Take a minute and chew on that! It is mind blowing!
Another truth is that we cannot fully comprehend timing in relation to God’s Sovereignty—His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. Therefore, rather than trying to understand it, we should focus on our faith in response to it. Simply believe and expect a demonstration of His power at whatever set time He has purposed to manifest His presence plan.
Isaiah 6:1 records another example of a set time God revealed Himself: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.” In the year King Uzziah died was a reference point for the prophet to recall his life-changing experience and encounter with the true and living God.
Undoubtedly, like Isaiah, many of you have a point of reference to recall your life-changing encounter with God. Throughout the bible, the perfect timing of God is revealed in the lives of people like you and me. At some point, the avalanche of emotional experiences causes us to question the timeliness of God’s intervention in our affairs as we petitioned. Yet, we should not stop praying and believing.
However, it is this account of Jesus’ perfect timing that really opened the eyes of my understanding and forced me to revisit God’s timeliness, especially in dark times and hopeless situations as we are now living in.
12 As he approached the village, he met a multitude of people in a funeral procession who were mourning as they carried the body of a young man to the cemetery. The boy was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. 13 When the Lord saw the grieving mother, his heart broke for her. With great tenderness he said to her, “Please don’t cry.” 14 Then he stepped up to the coffin and touched it. When the pallbearers came to a halt, Jesus spoke directly to the corpse, “Young man, I say to you, arise and live!” 15 Immediately, the young man moved, sat up, and spoke to those nearby. Jesus presented the son to his mother, alive! (Luke 7:12-15 The Passion Translation).
Jesus showed up at just the right time! He interrupted the funeral procession of a man being carried out for burial—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. This death would affect this woman’s family inheritance and her economic situation. Her life would never be the same. Oh! But the Master showed up on the scene just in time and miraculously changed her situation. The Compassionate One saw the arrows of pain that pierced her heart and exited on her countenance. She had buried her husband and now her only son. Truth is, He saw her face long before that day and had scripted the scene to show up on stage at the precise time. What Eternity purposed manifested that day and would also be a precursor to reveal Jesus’ power and authority over death. It was a point of reference, not only for that mother and son, but for the village spectators and us today to refer to time the widow’s son was raised from the dead. Just as the widow’s hopeless situation was already on Jesus’ timeline, so is yours!
This record of God’s perfect timing should encourage all believers who experience the grievous effects of death, whether it is physical or spiritual death, or the emotional death of dreams, visions, and goals. Mothers, do not give up hope for the life of your sons. Jesus can resurrect them from spiritual death!
We remember that the Lord Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forevermore. His compassions never fail; they are new every morning because He is faithful (Lamentation 3:21-22). The depth of His compassion and unconditional love are most clear by His sacrificial death and glorified resurrection power to secure the salvation of all people.
What are you about to bury in the emotional cave of hopelessness? Yes, even as Christians, sometimes it appears as though we cannot take anymore disappointments or hurts. I admonish you do not give up! Trust Him to show up at the perfect time in your hard experiences of grief, sorrow, and brokenness. He still reveals Himself, comforts us, and rejuvenates us so that we continue in His strength despite emotional upheaval in our lives. Jesus approached the gate to the village of Nain just as the funeral procession was coming out of the gate. Think about it! What perfect timing!
As you face the continuum of life experiences, keep praying and believing God will show up and reveal Himself to you. Then you too will declare with certainty, “He may not come when you want Him, but He’s always right on time.” Now is the opportune time to establish a point of reference during a pandemic to trust God’s perfect timing to show up in your situation.
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