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Presented by Lauren Stibgen
Being a faithful follower of Jesus Christ by no means makes us perfect in any way. In Romans 7 verses 18-20, Paul sums it up well.
For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it (Romans 7:18-20).
These verses above summarize the fact that even though I follow Jesus, I am still prone to sin. Often, we can see this sin in the feelings that manifest in the waiting. But what we forget is God’s timing is perfect, not ours.
This week, I defined the feelings we experience in waiting and the questions we ask God a result of the difference between what we think is a reasonable time for an answer or result and the time it takes to actually happen—even if it does happen. It is very easy for us to forget how great God is. When I say great, I am not necessarily talking about his goodness, but rather his omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. All knowing, all powerful, and all present. God is everywhere, in everything at all times—even right now. God transcends any temporal and worldly notions we have of time.
A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night (Psalm 90:4).
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day (2 Peter 3:8).
These two verses capture how limited we are in our thinking of how God experiences time.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 is my favorite about God’s timing.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
God makes everything beautiful in its time. And what is more beautiful is he gives us eternity with him through Christ Jesus. This good word reminds us we cannot fathom all he does!
The implications of waiting are this. God’s timing in all things is perfect and, in our waiting, we need to remember this.