“At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, ‘When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?’” – John 7:30-31
Have you ever found yourself asking God why something is taking so long?
I recently rewatched the Karate Kid. It’s a fun movie with some good lessons in it. (Spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen it) If you haven’t seen it, a kid moves across the country to California and gets bullied. An older man from Okinawa (Mr. Miyagi) who is the handyman of his building offers to train him in karate to defend himself.
One part I always enjoy is Daniel’s training. Daniel shows up the first day and Mr. Miyagi has him wash and wax a bunch of cars using specific movements. Once Daniel finishes, he comes back thinking washing the cars was a form of payment and they’d start the training, but Mr. Miyagi has him sand his deck instead. This continues as Daniel then paints Mr. Miyagi’s fence and house.
Finally, Daniel is sick of it. He was supposed to be trained in karate, but he was just doing a bunch of manual labor. So, he tells Mr. Miyagi off. Then, Mr. Miyagi has Daniel demonstrate the various movements of all the work he had been doing. As Daniel does this, Mr. Miyagi punches and kicks. Daniel sees that those movements he’s been doing for the work, block Mr. Miyagi’s attacks.
Yes, Daniel had done a bunch of manual labor for Mr. Miyagi, but all that time had also been his training. He was learning movements and building muscles and was now able to defend himself. He just hadn’t realized what was happening.
God’s Timing God works in His own ways and according to His own timing. When certain people of Israel tried to seize Jesus earlier in His ministry, they discovered just this. Jesus would eventually let them seize Him and even kill Him, but not yet. It wasn’t time.
The Bible and our own lives are filled with stories of God doing things differently than expected or at a time that wasn’t expected.
We like things to happen now. We don’t like to wait, but sometimes we have to. Sometimes it simply isn’t God’s time, yet. Then again, sometimes it is God’s time and He’s already doing it, but like Daniel, we just don’t realize that He is preparing us without our understanding.
Almightly God,
You operate according to Your will and Your timing. Give me wisdom to trust Your ways. Give me patience to trust Your timing.
“Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.” – Isaiah 41:4
Do you feel uneasy or anxious, lately?
It’s understandable if you do. A lot has changed since the coronavirus pandemic started and much is unknown.
We don’t know how long this will last.
We don’t know whether we will get sick.
We don’t know what our finances will look like in a month.
We don’t even know if we’ll find toilet paper when we go to the store.
With all these unknowns, it good to know that there are some things that are known and are sure. God has not been caught off-guard by this pandemic nor is He unsure how long it will last or who will get sick. My prayer is that we will all grow closer to Him through this experience and that many who do not know Jesus will come to know Him in this time.
God not only knows all things, but He is unchanging.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” – Numbers 23:19
A Firm Foundation God is our sure rock in a time when nothing feels sturdy. We can cling to Him and know that He does not change, His love for us does not change. We can trust in Him and know that His promises are true and will remain true no matter what.
Do you feel uneasy or anxious? Cast your anxieties on the Lord and ask Him for peace. He will give it. He will be with You. He will deliver You.
Our God is unchanging and ever-present.
Heavenly Father,
There are many things in my life right now that are unknown and it frightens me. Many things have changed and it has made me feel unsettled. Please take my fears and anxieties. I give them to You. In their place, give me Your peace. Remind me of Your promises and Your steadfastness. Be with me.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” – Deuteronomy 6:6-7
What do you focus on?
What takes up a lot of time in your day?
We have a lot of things vying for our time. Generally, you can tell what is most important to you by what you spend your time on. Do you spend your time working? Do you make time for your family? Do you spend time in nature?
But, I don’t have time!
People often talk about things they wish they could do…if they only had time. The truth is, though, that they usually do have time. They are just spending it doing something else.
I used to go hiking and camping several times a year. Now, however, I don’t think I’ve done either for years with the exception of my family’s summer vacation. Sometimes I lament that I don’t have time to do it. However, it struck me the other day as I saw on Facebook yet another hiking trip a friend was going on. I realized that it wasn’t that I didn’t have time, it’s that I chose to use my time in other ways.
How do you spend your time?
I may not be hiking much, but that’s not to say that what I spend my time on is bad. They are, at least mostly, good things. So, it’s not necessarily a question of good against bad. It’s often a question of what is most important to you.
Here’s Moses is telling Israel (and God telling us) that God should be foremost on our minds and saturate our time. It’s not that we can’t do other things, but God should be a part of them. We should also always look for ways to spend time with Him in Word and prayer and talk about Him with others, especially our kids.
In the end, all the other good things we do will perish. Only God is eternal. The time we spend with Him and sharing Him with others will have eternal consequences.
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the many good things You have blessed me with. Help me, however, not to get lost in all these good things and forget to spend time with You. Help me not only to set time aside to be with You but to see You in all the things I do and to talk about You in all the things I do.