GOD’S TIMING IS PERFECT

“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say on the Lord!”—Psalm 27:14

 

The culture in which many of us live in is fast-paced and we are accustomed to quick results.  Waiting appears to be an activity of past generations.

 

It is no surprise, then, that we have a hard time if God does not answer a prayer right away.  But when we refuse to be patient, our only option is to step out of His plan.  In Genesis 16: 1-6, the Scriptures tell how Abram and Sarai (later Abraham and Sarah) took matters into their own hands because they did not like the Lord’s timetable.

 

Ten years had passed since God promised them a son, and Sarai was aging.  So, she and Abram decided to let her servant Hagar bear a child for them.  Sarah eventually did give birth in her old age, but that lack of patience led to great strife—for their family and of us today.  Much of the tension in the Middle East can be traced to two people groups: the descendants of Hagar and of Sarah.

 

Why would a couple choose a path of self-sufficiency?  First, Sarai’s intense desire clouded her thinking.  She desperately wanted to provide her husband with a son—which was a basis of women’s worth in that culture.  Next, she succumbed to wrong thinking.  After years of childlessness and longing, she began to think that perhaps the Lord needed human help.  Finally, she influenced Abram to believe this faulty reasoning, and both gave in to impatience.

 

These traps still pose danger today.  We are not immune to strong desire, human reasoning, or the influence of others.  Impatient by nature, we could easily justify taking action in our own strength.  The best advice is to listen, obey, and wait.  God’s timing is perfect and we do not want to miss His best.  If you have been impatient waiting upon God’s timing and have chosen a path of self-sufficiency, ask Him to forgive you and to restore your timing. He will renew your strength and you will see the promise fulfilled.

 

Prayer—Father I ask You to forgive me of being impatient and not waiting upon your timing.  I have taken matters into my own hands and tried to work Your will out for myself, instead of waiting upon You.  Help me Holy Spirit and restore me into Your perfect timing, in Jesus Name. Amen.