God’s Timing

I have been listening to testimonies of many missionaries and I am realizing that a lot of them have something in common and it is that there was a long period of time waiting on God to bring them to the country that He had put in their heart to go. Several missionaries thought God would have brought them to the place He showed them quicker, but it was not to be. They had to wait much longer than they could have ever imagined. But this waiting period was not wasted, and it gave them time to prepare for the purpose God had for them. They learned that God’s timing was definitely not their timing, but it was right on-time. And neither is He limited by time.

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9

Although this passage in 2 Peter 3 is speaking about the day when the Lord will bring judgment, it also gives great insight into His timelessness and His character. Our Lord, who is the beginning, and the end is faithful to keep His promises and He is patient. We sometimes wonder why God may have kept us in a bad situation for so long, but we need to remember that He is working all things for good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose (see Romans 8:28). Joseph understood this well. It was over 13 years from Joseph’s dream of his brothers bowing in front of him before it came to fulfillment. During those years he was thrown into a pit, sold as a slave, and was imprisoned. Moses had an idea that he was to liberate his people but went about it in His own way and ended up killing an Egyptian, after which he fled to the back side of the desert where God met with him after 40 years when he was 80 years old and sent Him to set His people free from Egyptian oppression. Let us not forget David who was anointed king between the ages of 10 to 15 years old but did not assume his role as king until he was 30 years old and during that time he had to flee for his life, pretend to be a madman and hide out in caves. We often think that God has forgotten His promises and His purpose for us when we have to wait and endure hardships. But often the adversities are positioning and preparing us to receive God’s promises and to fulfill His purposes in our lives. It may be difficult to believe that the challenges we are facing now are what God is using to bring us into the destiny He has for us, but it just may be. So let us not despise the waiting period but continue to give God thanks no matter what is happening.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

Philippians is considered one of the four prison epistles, that means Apostle Paul was writing to this Church and telling its members to “rejoice in the Lord always” while he was in prison. He also exhorted them not to be anxious and to give thanks even as they bring their prayer requests to God. Paul’s hope was in the Lord and that He was going to come soon. Still today nearly 2000 years after Paul wrote that “the Lord is near”, we are waiting on the Him. For the Lord, 2000 years is very little time, even though we may not see it that way because we are finite in God’s infinite Kingdom. The Lord is never in a rush. He works from a place of peace and rest, and He is very patient. We should try doing the same while trusting Him. God is not on our schedule. He already has His plans.

“For this is what the Lord says: ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans that have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:10-11

Many people like to quote Jeremiah 29:11 to encourage themselves without even realizing the context in which God said this. The previous verse gives us more insight as it explains that the Lord had said this when the Israelites were going to be in Babylonian captivity for 70 years. God was sending them into exile to a place where many did not want to go, in order to save them. Many Israelites could have spent nearly their entire lives under Babylonian rule. But God had a plan to get them out into their own land several decades later, which would have looked like a very long time to them. God’s ways are not our ways and God’s timing is often not to our liking, but we need to trust Him because God knows what He is doing. He really does have a plan even though the time seems to be going by without a positive change in circumstances. God can turn the problems into His promise whenever He is ready.