In God’s Time – Everything is Beautiful!

We were waiting for another colleague to arrive before we can start our scheduled meeting.  He was very late.  The moment he arrived in the room, he noticed the disappointment on all our faces and our unspoken judgement of “You are guilty of being late”.   Being on time has become a modern day virtue.  It is rude to be late for anything.  But my colleague apologised and explained the reasons for his delay.  He then challenged our attitudes to waiting and judging others.  As we wait we become restless, impatient and angry.  Waiting is a spiritual exercise and the scripture exhorts us to wait for the Lord. 

Diane Ball and her husband were driving in a car on their way to a meeting where she was to be the speaker.  Unfortunately, they got delayed and during that long drive, Diane heard the melody and the words ring in her ears and a song came into being.  It was an inspiration by the Holy Spirit that turned the words of the scripture into a beautiful song “In His Time…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).  There is always a purpose behind the delays which we understand much later. 

The sisters knew that if only Jesus was present when their brother Lazarus was sick, it would have been different.  Even after sending a SOS message, Jesus did not turn up.  Lazarus died.  He was buried.  After another four long days, Jesus arrived in response to the message. More than anger, the sisters displayed their anguish at the turn of the events but at the same time trusting in Jesus to do the impossible.  Jesus was moved to tears and Lazarus was raised back to life to the glory of God (John 11).   

It was the sun and moon that determined times, seasons and years as God created (Genesis 1:11). Later on man-made devices have been used to measure and track time from hour glass, water clock, sun dials, candle clock, mercury based clocks to the present mechanical, pendulum, atomic and digital devices etc.  We are now driven by these devices rather than by the timing set by God.

God’s timing is different from our understanding of time.  A day is like a thousand years and thousand years are like a day for the Lord. (2 Peter 3:7-9).  We need to pray along with the psalmist “teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12) and learn to wait for God’s time.  May each new day remind us that God will make everything beautiful in His time! John Amalraj