WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MARCH 9, 2022
TOPIC: GOD’S TIMING IS PERFECT
BY T. O. BANSO
“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5 New King James Version).
One of the greatest challenges we face, as human beings, is understanding the timing of God. Those who don’t believe in God don’t care about this. They believe they are in charge of their lives and there is nobody like God who has a plan for them or the right time for anything to be done in their lives.
However, as Christians, we know that there is a God factor in life. God did not create man and leave him to live without any plan for him or input or direction. Just as He told the people of Judah in exile, God knows the thoughts that He thinks toward His children, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
Whether regarding what God wants to do in our lives or the answer to our prayers, there is God’s timing. And His timing is perfect because God is perfect and His way is (Psalm 18:30). Because we don’t know the timing of God, we could be impatient, lose hope, or act prematurely. But when it is God’s timing, everything works out perfectly.
God’s plan of redemption of humankind followed divine timing. God didn’t send Jesus prematurely; He sent Him at the right time. Jesus couldn’t have been born as a human being earlier than He was. He couldn’t have died any time before the time He did. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (New King James Version). The phrase “the fullness of the time had come” refers to God’s timing.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 says to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. The chapter goes ahead to say in verse 11 that God has made everything beautiful in its time. God’s timing is perfect. May you be sensitive to His timing. May you not act ahead of God and miss His timing. May you do the right thing at the right time that God wants it done. When you do, everything will be beautiful. God’s timing is perfect.
Many years after God had promised Abraham a child, his wife, Sarah, was yet to conceive. In Genesis 18, God visited Abraham through three men and renewed His promise to Abraham, saying, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son” (verse 10 New King James Version). Sarah, who was in the tent, heard the conversation between Abraham and his guests. Verse 11 says at this time, Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah was long past the age of childbearing.
When Sarah heard that she would have a son, she laughed saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” (Verse 12 New King James Version). That was not the first time God had made the promise to them. She probably was thinking if God really wanted to fulfil His promise why didn’t He do it when she was young, not when she had long past the age of childbearing?
Verses 13-15 say, “And the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.’ But Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I did not laugh,’ for she was afraid. And He said, ‘No, but you did laugh!’” (New King James Version).
Please take note of the phrase “At the appointed time.” That’s God’s timing. That’s the time the promise was ripe for fulfilment. Habakkuk 2:3 says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, It will not tarry” (New King James Version). An appointed time!
God’s timing is perfect. Eventually, Sarah conceived as God had said. “And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him — whom Sarah bore to him — Isaac” (Genesis 21:1-4 New King James Version). All the waiting of Abraham and Sarah finally came to an end.
The Holy Spirit will sensitize you to God’s timing in Jesus’ name. You will not lose hope or be weary. You will not be impatient or presumptuous. You will wait for the Lord. The writer of Psalm 130 says, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning — Yes, more than those who watch for the morning” (Psalm 130:5-6 New King James Version). Also, Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!” (New King James Version). According to Jeremiah, it is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD (Lamentation 3:26).
You will walk in God’s timing in Jesus’ name. Abraham’s servant walked in God’s timing and met Rebekah whom he eventually took back as a wife for his master’s son, Isaac. It seemed like a coincidence but it was God in action. He caused Rebekah to come to the well at the right time and to meet the requirements that Abraham’s servant had set in his prayer to God for whoever would be the wife he had come to find for Isaac (Genesis 24:13-14).
Verse 15 says, “And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder” (New King James Version). Rebekah went further to do as Abraham’s servant had prayed to God that the wife for Isaac would do. Following her agreement to marry Isaac, Rebekah was released by the family to go with Abraham’s servant. God’s timing is perfect.
God’s timing also played out when Jacob met Rachel who eventually became his wife. Jacob was still enquiring about his uncle, Laban the son of Nahor, when the people he was talking to said they knew Laban and added, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep” (Genesis 29:6 New King James Version). Jacob went with Rachel home and later married her. That may sound like a coincidence but someone has said that coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous. God works in us both to will and do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). God’s timing is perfect.
Ruth could have gone to glean in another person’s field when she returned with her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to Bethlehem but she went to the field of Boaz, who happened to be a relation of her late husband. Why didn’t she go to the field of someone else who was not a relative? Why did Boaz who had come from Bethlehem to his field take notice of her and make enquiries about her when she was gleaning? God’s timing. Eventually, Boaz married Ruth (Ruth 2-4).
God’s timing is perfect. There is an appointed time for everything in the programme of God for you. Jesus told His mother at the wedding of Cana of Galilee that His hour had not come (John 2:4). That was after she had told Him that they had run out of wine at the wedding. Jesus didn’t intervene to help until the right time had come. May you know the right time God wants you to act. May you be like the sons of Issachar who had an understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do (1 Chronicles 12:32).
When the disciples of Jesus asked Him if He would at that time restore the kingdom to Israel He said it was not for them to know the times or seasons which the Father had put in His own authority (Acts 1:7). God’s timing is perfect. God’s timing is God’s appointed time. It is the “due time.” 1 Peter 5:6 says, therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time – in His good time. James 4:10 says a similar thing. God’s due time is a good time.
If you’re going to understand God’s timing, you must trust in Him and wait for Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says you should trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. In addition, ask God and listen to the Holy Spirit.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to be sensitive to God’s timing. Grant me an understanding of the times. Let me not go or act ahead of God and miss His timing. Lead me to know what God wants me to do and the right time He wants me to do it. Guide me to do the right thing at the right time. I will not be impatient or presumptuous. I will wait for the Lord. I will not lose hope or be weary in Jesus’ name.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
