Day 12: Time According to God

I hate waiting! I dislike lines! I become tense when I'm running late. I loose track of time when I'm engaged in deep thought or strongly immersed in work. I work best in chunks of time...for my dissertation I had to carve out hours because a few moments here and there didn't work for me.

I'm not good at waiting on God's time. I usually think the delay is because I have done something wrong. God's not going to answer...the answer is no. As my son James would phrase it, I'm horrible at the "waiting game." It is in the waiting that the deceiver whispers the lies into my mind..."you're not good enough, God doesn't care, you can't hear God, that's not what God said to you," and the lies and deceptions go on and on.

God, the sad, really sad, part is I believe those lies at times. I'm so tired and defeated by circumstances that I lean into the deceiver and begin to doubt truth. Lord, your truth isn't always easy to swallow...wait, endure, sacrifice. But that's exactly what your son did. He waited 33 years for your time to endure the shame and humiliation of the trials and beatings; then, to sacrifice his life for mine on that horrendous cross. And sadly I can't seem to wait years for you to reveal your plans for the next steps for my little life? Forgive me for my impatience.

There are times when I believe I see your plan coming together. Moments I begin to get a glimpse of why you waited and the positive impact that wait had on my life in the long run. The opportunities to see you working in seemingly impossible situations. If you had answered immediately would I have see your faithful hand...or would I have appreciated it as profoundly?

Lord, you know my heart and you are teaching me about yours. I thank you for that. I appreciate your steadfastness, mercy, grace, patience with me, your wisdom, power, and provision.

Right now I see you bringing some key parts of our life together in ways that I don't understand. Ways that initially kept me awake at night. Honestly, that seemed more of a curse than a blessing. But because I'm spending time with you and seeking your perspective, I'm realizing it can't be anything but you and your desire for us. There are still two pretty big "fleece" type things in my heart that I need you to take care that will surely speak to me that what we are sensing you are doing. That what seems to be occuring is truly you and the time to respond is now. Not when I thought, but according to your timing. I don't want to publicly write them here, but Lord I will write them when the time is right and you have answered~ one way or another. God, you know I am an emotional decision maker so I lay these fleeces before you so that without doubt I will know of your desires and your timing. You know my heart in this matter and you know why I desire your response in this manner. Thank you, Father.

Thank you for the Revealed devotion this morning on your perspective of time and timing. It oh so spoke to my heart.
"Discovering God's plan for your time."

Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness....He is giving everyone space and time to change. 2 Peter 3:8-9 (MSG)

The author writes:

"The deliberate pace with which God may choose to move-- or the suddenness with which He ruses in --are not determined by the availability of time. Time is not a controlling factor for God as it is with us. While we cannot break free from the hold time has on us, we can learn to see things more from God's perspective. If we live as if time were the only determining factor for our choices, we are living a very shallow life." (p. 46)

"Lazarus' family and friends were only aware of one thing: Jesus was too late. Jesus, on the other hand, was aware that this was an opportunity for God's glory to be revealed." (p. 47)

Reveal your glory through our circumstances and may we be a testimony to how you work through circumstances to show your divine timing and purpose in our lives.


Thank you for Back to the Bible as it reminded me that there are times of silence where words are not needed. Just quiet time before you.

Job 2:11 (ESV)
11 Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him.

I praise you for being a God I don't understand...a God of miracles and surprises.

Amen