Do We Know How To Follow God’s Timing?
Good Morning Friends,
Last night we had choir practice. And the first song we practiced was by John Ness Beck, a piece called, Help Us Accept Each Other. We will sing it on Sunday. It seemed very appropriate given that the election season was so divisive. Its timing seemed so appropriate. It all prompts today’s question: Do We Know How To Follow God’s Timing?
Scripture: But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
Galatians 4:4 (NRSV)
But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.
2 Peter 3:8 (NRSV)
in due time he revealed his word through the proclamation with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior,
Titus 1:3 (NRSV)
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NRSV)
Message:
The high calling is to live by God’s time, to live with the purpose of glorifying God and accomplishing what He has given us to do. The objective is to live a Kairos life in a Cronos world and that is not easy for life is so short. Waiting for God is hard. Billy Graham whose 98th birthday was this last Monday, was once asked what he was most surprised by in life. He answered, “Its brevity.” And because it is so short, even if we live to be a hundred, we need to get the timing right. So today we embrace an invitation of God to learn the timing and ways of God, through the Word of God so we might have a future with God.
Have you ever noticed the times when the scripture in a devotional or a sermon converge to match up with a current concern or issue? Sometimes we are led by the Holy Spirit to a proper timing of grace and divine intervention to bring peace to a difficult situation. Sometimes it is a pastoral teaching trick and sometimes it is a divine appointment. But in the experience we are to discover the difficult lesson that our timing can be off but that Jesus’ timing could not be more perfect. If we focus on God’s presence and His timing then we will realize God has it all covered. If we try to force it, as we might a note in the music, we can miss the mark. Yes, becoming a Christian requires us learn about harmony and timing. That is why it is good to sing in a choir so we might learn that what we think is right to us may not match God’s timing. We do so like to hear our own voice, but this voice is not always in tune and measure with God’s voice and planning. Singing helps us to learn that God’s arranging is important in all the small events of our lives as well as the big ones through all the season of not just the year but our life. And like in choir practice, living the Christian life requires us to know our part, practice the true notes, changing our tone to measure up as we prepare ourselves, as we follow the conductor, and His score, singing to the Lord in proper timing. And that friends is the message. We serve a God of seasons… a God that works in history… a God that conducts between the opposites in our lives as well as in them. There is a time for everything but least we forget, God is in all time working a divine purpose. And somehow, in this life, the Holy Spirit creates a longing in us to be more in sync with God’s timing. And amazingly somehow as part of this process, God takes all the collective experiences of our lives and eventually makes something beautiful out of all the loose ends, wrong notes and missed measures. God makes life beautiful in His time and that is worth singing about. Just make sure you watch the conductor for the down beat. A solo is not always written into the score.
Pray we realize that there is a time for having an open mouth and a time for having a closed mouth, but it is God that controls the timing and the flow of our spiritual breath. Pray we wait for God’s timing. Pray we realize that God’s timing is perfect. Pray that the Holy Spirit speak to our innermost being giving us direction and skill. Pray we learn about God’s invitation, His measuring, ways and words so that our future with God will be everlasting.
Pray that we learn not to miss a season in our lives. Pray that our planning is right. Pray that our lives are ordered. Pray that we take advantage of the benefits of each season. Pray that we learn the right things to do and when we are to do them. Pray that we step into this new season ready to claim the prize. Pray that we as a people be restored to usefulness in unity for such a time as this. Pray our lives be under God’s mastery as we learn the proper techniques to sing a life to the glory of God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 