Waiting on the Lord, Part 1

Waiting on the Lord, Part 1

Sept 22, 2008

"God's Timing is Perfect"

Psalm 145:15 "The eyes of all look to You, You give them their food at the proper time."

If you were to question my wife or kids, they would tell you I'm a stickler for being on time. Getting a family of six out the door takes considerable time management skills, especially considering our four children are all very young. To me, being on time is being a few minutes early. I allow cushion time for human error and the unexpected, to make certain we get there on time. If we're early, its because we've risked out of all the time wasting activities. My wife, on the other hand, calls her personal time clock "African Time." She once attended a church service in Africa where the service was scheduled from 10-12pm, but the pastor didn't stroll in until after 1pm and they didn't finish until 5 or 6pm. Needless to say, my wife is seldom on time for anything, per Americans' standards.

God, on the other hand, is perfect in His timing. There is no need for Him to factor in any cushion time for error or the unexpected. You've often heard that He is never late and rarely early. We would all like Him to show up early; we don't like close calls. We're not good at watching for those near misses, those times when danger is getting too close and we're snatched away by a savior just in time to avoid certain death. Those times when danger gets close cause us to fret and fumble as we nervously prepare for the inevitable, those times when we're certain God is not going to show up. We sit and tell ourselves that God is not near and He will never show up. We deceive ourselves by convincing our minds that this time is different and God will be too late. If we can believe this lie, then we are allowed to act in an effort to save ourselves or intervene because God isn't doing His job.

This is exactly the position where Satan wants us. Satan wants us to doubt that God won't show up on time, or at all, and that if we don't take matters into our own hands, our problems will never be solved. If Satan can convince us of this, then our faith is diminished and we slowly become lord of our own lives. When you don't wait for the perfect timing of God you can take matters into your own hands and really screw things up. Saul was an amazing leader and man of God, but there came a time when he didn't wait on the Lord. Because Saul didn't wait on the Lord, God removed Saul from his leadership position; some argue that Saul lost his home in Heaven as well. Read about it in 1 Samuel 15.

Whether you're waiting for God to give you a spouse, an answer to prayer, or show you your ministry in this world, it is important to wait for His perfect timing. Throughout the Bible, the Lord's own voice is recorded and appears over 500 times saying, "at the appointed time," "in due time," "at the proper time." God is actually interested in time. He set a time and place for everything. He even set a time for the issue you're dealing with right now as you read these words. Timing is so important to God that He is arranging your circumstances at this very moment, orchestrating everything in your life for a very important reveal. But that reveal will be missed if you take matters into your own hands and decide it is no longer prudent to wait for the perfectness of God. So, if you're getting antsy about something, be patience just a little longer. God has it under control and knows the perfect time to bring it about. His timing is perfect, just as He is.

1. For what two things have you been waiting on God's timing?
2. Are you tempted to take matters into your own hands or are you being patient?

Additional Scriptures for Study: Ecc 3, Ecc 7:14, Matt 21:41, Matt 24:30, Matt 24:48, Mark 13:33, Luke 12:45, Acts 1:7, Acts 17:26, Rom 5:26, Gal 4:4, Gal 6:9