God's Timing

Montage of Clocks

God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself...
and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were pleading through us. (2 Cor. 5:19-20)

The Bible reveals that God always has been involved in the world to reconcile it to Himself. He has never been absent from it or from what is taking place in history.
When we read the Bible, we are reading the redemptive activity of God in our world.

We see that He chooses to take the initiative and involve His people with Him. He chooses to work through them to accomplish His purposes.

When God was ready to judge the world, He came to Noah. He was about to do something, and He was going to do it through Noah.

When God was ready to build a nation for Himself, He came to Abraham. God was going to accomplish His will through Abraham.

When God heard the cry of the children of Israel and decided to deliver them, He appeared to Moses. God came to Moses because of His purpose. He planned to deliver Israel through Moses.

When he is about to do something, He takes the initiative and comes to one or more of His servants. He lets them know what He is about to do. He invites them to adjust their lives to Him so He can accomplish His work through them.

"Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the Prophets" (Amos 3:7)

As God's obedient child, you are in a love relationship with Him. He loves you and wants to involve you in His work. When He is ready, He will show you where He is working so you can join Him.

Don't get in a hurry.

An Old Man and a Boy, 1480s

God may spend years preparing your character or developing your love relationship with Him. Don't get discouraged if the assignment or "call" does not come immediately. "God knows what He is doing. Until He reveals what He is doing so you can join Him, you don't have to worry about not being about the Father's business.

For instance, Jesus was twelve when He went about the Father's business in the temple.
Yet, He was thirty before He began the ministry God had prepared Him for. The Son of God spent the better part of thirty years as a carpenter, waiting until the Father was ready for Him to begin His public ministry.

In the process of knowing and doing God's will, you may ask the question: "Why doesn't Godgive me a big assignment? God might say to you, "You are asking Me to involve you in my great movements, but I am trying to get you simply to understand how to believe Me. I can'tgive you that assignment yet." God has to lay some basic foundations in your life before He can prepare you for the larger tasks.

Have you ever said something like, "Lord, if You just give me a great assignment, I will serve You for all I am worth"?God might respond, "I really want to, but I can't. If I were to put you into that kind of assignment, you would never be able to handle it. You are just not ready."
On the night before Jesus' crucifixion, Peter said, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me" (Luke 22: 33-34)

Is it possible that He also knows exactly what you would do?Trust Him. Do not insist that God give you something that you think you are ready for. That could lead to your ruin.

God will move you into every assignment that He knows you are ready for. Let God orient you to Himself. Be patient and wait.

Waiting on the Lord should not be an idle time for you. Let God use times of waiting to mold and shape your character. Let God use those times to purify your life and make you into a clean vessel for His service.

As you obey Him, God will prepare you for the assignment that is just right for you.Don't use human standards to measure the importance or value of an assignment.
Any assignment that comes from the Maker of the universe is an important assignment.
God takes the initiative to involve His people with Him in His work. He does this on His timetable, not on ours. He is the One who is already at work in our world. When He opens your spiritual eyes to see where He is at work, that revelation is your invitation to join Him. You will know where He is working when you see Him doing things that only God can do.
When God reveals His work to you, that is the time He wants you to begin adjusting to Him and His activity.

What God purposes He Himself guarantees to complete.

The Prayer Of Jabez II
Are there times when God showed you His activity and you missed it? Is there something that God has been trying to get you involved in and you have been refusing to join Him?

Ask the Lord how He wants you to respond to what He reveals.
It is an awesome privilege to be in a love relationship
with You Father and have You trust me
to join in Your work. I am ready to join You.
Show me Your timing.
Make clear to me what You are doing.
I praise You that You have promised
to complete whatever You start.
I surrender to Your invitation.
Lead me to where I should begin.
Experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby
& Claude V. King
images courtesy of all posters