God's Timing
By John Moore, MA, LCMHC
“Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3.8
Why is waiting so difficult? Rock star Tom Petty addressed the frustration of waiting in his appropriately titled hit song “The Waiting”.
“Every day you get one more yard, you take it on faith, you take it to the heart, the waiting is the hardest part.”
Waiting on God can be frustrating, however it is important to remember that God’s time is different than ours. Peter tells us that one day to God is like 1000 human years! Waiting on God requires faith. God and faith are key components of the Christian faith and although we cannot visibly see either, we know both are present in our lives [see Hebrews 11.1].
John 11 offers a glimpse of God’s timing. Here Jesus receive’s word that his good friend, Lazarus, is sick. Lazarus’ sickness must have been very critical for his family to send word to Jesus, yet Jesus’ response was not one of urgency. “So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days…” [John 11.6] Umm, what? Jesus, you’re supposed to do something, not hang out for a couple of days! Then Jesus tells his disciples plainly “Lazarus is dead” and still, no sign of concern from Jesus. God’s timing not ours.
Days later when Jesus arrives at Bethany, the village where Lazarus and his family live, he is chastised by Mary, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died!” Jesus listens to her and asks to see Lazarus, but Martha reminds him, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days” [John 11.39]. Still no concern from Jesus who states, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? [John 11.40]. Jesus then does what the family wanted him to do all along, he performs a miracle by shouting, “Lazarus, come out!” and he does, wrapped in the linens of the grave. The result? “Many of the Jews…had seen what Jesus did [and] believed in him” [John 11.45]. God used this opportunity to bring people closer to him.
Gods timing is perfect. Like Mary and Martha, we may become discouraged when God doesn’t immediately respond or we may believe that God is too late in certain situations…but he’s not. When God delays action, he is not necessarily ignoring or sitting idly by, he is allowing the situation evolve in order to ensure the maximum amount of glory for his kingdom.
Don’t be discouraged. Don’t give up hope. God’s timing is worth the wait!