I believe timing is everything in God’s agenda. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the earth (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Similarly, whenever God has acted throughout history, it was always at a specific time. He did not just happen to be there or act, everything for purposely planned. The bible says Jesus came at the right time while we were still sinners… (Romans 5). Moreover, at the right time, God called Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egyptian’s oppression. At the right time, God called Abraham to leave his country, his gods, and the people he knew to become the father of all nations. At the right time, God gave Abraham a child despite his old age. My point is simple, God does everything in His own time. No amount of begging and supplication can force God to act when He had not already planned to do so. However, seeking His will in prayer is always welcome.
There is something beautiful with letting God do things in his own time without having us interfering. In those moments, we are taking our rightful place and letting God be God. Funny enough, I believe only humans are the ones that interfere with God’s planning. They are the only creatures that often seek to “help” God out or show God that He is slow in his doing. Angels must be very surprised at us! They are obedient agents who don’t think twice when summoned by God and probably count it a privilege to be used by God to enact His will on earth but we, humans, don’t see things the same. God help us! Nevertheless, I believe one remedy for us to stop trying to do God’s job is to know his heart, his power and trust him. The bible is filled with descriptions and stories about who God is and how He thinks; what He cares about and what He does to the ones He loves. Countless times, God himself has proven His power and love to His people Israel and not only to them, He has also proven his love to nations that would humble themselves before Him. Moreover, in passages like Isaiah 54, the heart of God is filled with tenderness, He is filled with compassion and love for His people Israel. The language used in that passage simply gives you the imagery of a loving husband who loves His wife and does Her good. It is beautiful to see what the Lord promises to do to those that love Him and trust in Him.
Another remedy is to be saturated by His faithfulness. By being saturated I mean, learning about it, observing it, being sensitive to it even in your own life. Recently, I read in Isaiah that the Lord had prophesied about Cyrus the king of Persia or the Medes that he would be used to set His people free. The Lord called Cyrus His “shepherd” who shall fulfill all His purposes (Isaiah 44). This prophecy happened before Cyrus came to being and it was fulfilled exactly at the right time as God had declared. I find this incredible! To be able to say beforehand what you will do and do it exactly as you foretold is beyond fathomable. What I do want to point out is that Cyrus came at the right time which is the time appointed by the Lord. He did not come before or after, he came just at the right time. The emphasis I am making on this timing issue is that God is a planner and He doesn’t do things spontaneously. He is meticulous in all that He does. Psalm 139 says that God formed our inward parts; he knitted us together in our mother’s wombs (verse 13) such detailed work is not done on a whim. Similarly, God told Jeremiah that before he formed Jeremiah in the womb, He knew him (Jeremiah 1:5). This sort of knowledge again, is not something magical, it is very thoughtful, it takes time and it is pure. Indeed, God’s ways are never rushed as if He were affected by time or limited by it. I believe God works with time, according to time and that is why He acts at the right time.
Isaiah 49 talks about a time of favour and a day of salvation. Only in those times did the Lord answer Israel, only during those times did salvation come to the people of Israel and restoration was bestowed upon them; not before, not after, but in the time of favour and in the day of salvation. This shows clearly that we should wait for the time of favour and salvation from the Lord because there is one and it is great. Moreover, we should surrender all our tactics intended to sweet-talk God and get him to work outside of his time. We should instead trust him fully, being like a child before him and entrusting our very lives to the one who knows all things and isn’t bound by anything. Even Jesus waited for his time, he repeatedly told his disciples that his time had not yet come. What was his time? It was the Father’s appointed timing. Jesus waited for it and that is why we have this beautiful salvation, this marvelous way to get to the Father and be united with Him. So, wait for His timing, and rather than helping God or trying to help God, seek Him and submit to Him in prayer and you will be rejoicing beyond belief. As Psalm 126 puts it, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongues with shouts of joy”. May this be your portion.
A Word Aptly Spoken 