2 Peter 3:8-9
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 restraining himself on account of you, holding back the
End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and
time to change.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
My friend John posted a
picture of his dog, Winston, this morning…with the comment that he was
giving himself a week to grieve his beloved pet’s death. John has
posted a picture of Winston every day since he passed…and he commented
that he has “one more day.” At the same time, I know several people who
are caring for loved ones on Hospice care…just waiting for God to call
them home. In some cases, they wonder why it’s taking so long. Still
others believe that changes of one sort or another will come. They are
praying to God and begging Him to intervene…and wishing that He would
hurry up and fix the mess!
Here’s the thing…God’s timing is
perfect – but it is not the same as ours. He will heal our grief and
give us peace…but the amount of time it takes each of us to “get there”
is vastly different. You cannot package these emotions into a set
number of days on the calendar…and God doesn’t expect us to do this. As
for those who are nearing the time when they will to go to heaven…we
cannot dictate this, either. When you are watching and waiting, the
minutes, hours and days may seem to drag by…the suffering may appear to
be unending – and more than you can endure. But God’s got each person
involved in this journey in the palm of His hand. I assure you, He will
operate on a perfect schedule that we will understand someday…if only
when we get to Heaven and visit with Him face-to-face.
Probably
the hardest “wait” many of us have is for God to work in all sorts of
situations that seem impossible and unbearable for us – or deeply
frustrating. I cannot imagine how those who work in in various civil
rights movements must feel as they call on God to help them in their
struggle and fight for changes to occur. The part of this scripture
passage about God restraining Himself on account of us was particularly
poignant as I thought of the escaped convict in New York…and the young
shooter of nine church members in South Carolina. Both lives were
spared as police apprehended them. Could this be so that they have
another chance to hear about Jesus and turn to Him? Remember Jesus’
parable of the 99 sheep and the one who was lost!
I don’t know
what you are waiting on…but at some point in our lives, we are all
waiting. We wait for good things to happen…special milestones like
graduation, weddings, new babies, new houses or jobs, and “big”
birthdays. We also wait for things to change…for relationships to
improve, for children to grow out of bad habits, for hearts to soften
and people to become more tolerant. We wait for death…and for grief to
end. And we wait for Jesus to come back for us – either collectively,
or when we are called to Heaven.
In all of these situations and
circumstances, God is with us…and He orchestrates the details and the
timing. And it is all perfect. We don’t have to understand this…or
even like it! We just have to trust God and believe that He has our
back…that He is with us…and that He loves us so much that He plans every
single second to perfection. Amazing love…amazing grace…amazing
timing…God offers all of this – and more – to each of us. Do you trust
Him to handle every detail? Don’t you think you should?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label God's timing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's timing. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 10, 2015
Psalm 46:10
Our God says, “Calm down,
and learn that I am God!
All nations on earth
will honor me.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“Lord, it’s me again! Do you remember that thing that I’ve been talking about to You? Well, Lord, it’s still not fixed! Lord, what are we going to do about this? I need your help! I can’t do this on my own. But it needs to be fixed. Lord? Lord?? LORD???”
How many times have we all done this? I know I have done it more times than I care to count. There is quite a difference between reminding God about a need or concern…lifting someone to Him in prayer for help, healing or general care… and wearing Him out with persistent pestering! But some of us want to badger God with our constant petitions. And this where we need to insert Psalm 46:10. “Calm down, and learn that I am God!” Know that God will answer when – and how – best suits His plans. It will be perfect! Trust me…I’ve learned this the hard way!
In the King James Version of the Bible, this verse begins, “Be still, and know that I am God…” Engrave this on your heart…write it on the wall or the back of your hand. Hang this verse on your refrigerator or post a note on the bathroom mirror. But do not forget to “be still”…and recognize who God is. Understand the fact that He is present in your life…ready, willing and able to do all things according to His will – perfectly and in the right time.
Aren’t you tired of badgering and nagging? Aren’t you ready to “calm down” and KNOW that God is with you and in complete control. Wouldn’t this be the perfect day to begin? Are you ready to “be still and know”?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Our God says, “Calm down,
and learn that I am God!
All nations on earth
will honor me.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“Lord, it’s me again! Do you remember that thing that I’ve been talking about to You? Well, Lord, it’s still not fixed! Lord, what are we going to do about this? I need your help! I can’t do this on my own. But it needs to be fixed. Lord? Lord?? LORD???”
How many times have we all done this? I know I have done it more times than I care to count. There is quite a difference between reminding God about a need or concern…lifting someone to Him in prayer for help, healing or general care… and wearing Him out with persistent pestering! But some of us want to badger God with our constant petitions. And this where we need to insert Psalm 46:10. “Calm down, and learn that I am God!” Know that God will answer when – and how – best suits His plans. It will be perfect! Trust me…I’ve learned this the hard way!
In the King James Version of the Bible, this verse begins, “Be still, and know that I am God…” Engrave this on your heart…write it on the wall or the back of your hand. Hang this verse on your refrigerator or post a note on the bathroom mirror. But do not forget to “be still”…and recognize who God is. Understand the fact that He is present in your life…ready, willing and able to do all things according to His will – perfectly and in the right time.
Aren’t you tired of badgering and nagging? Aren’t you ready to “calm down” and KNOW that God is with you and in complete control. Wouldn’t this be the perfect day to begin? Are you ready to “be still and know”?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 28, 2011
Psalm 10:16-18
Our LORD, you will always rule, but nations will vanish from the earth. You listen to the longings of those who suffer. You offer them hope, and you pay attention to their cries for help. You defend orphans and everyone else in need, so that no one on earth can terrify others again.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend shared with us recently that her daughter laughed at those who so eagerly share photos of their children on Facebook… until she had her own baby. She said, “Now I get it.” And truly, until we have walked in others’ shoes, we often don’t understand their thinking… the things that make them happy, sad, proud, embarrassed, encouraged or defeated.
But God always understands. He knows the heartache of orphans who long for a home and someone to love them. He understands the fears and disappointment of those who are abused by a parent, spouse, or someone else. He sees the child who is bullied, and His heart is grieved. He “gets it” when someone we love is sick and we are unable to help heal.
I remember feeling so helpless when my brother was ill and slipping away from us. There was nothing we could do to restore his health this side of heaven. I know the frustration of holding a screaming child who can’t tell me where he hurts or what is wrong… and wondering what on earth I can possibly do to soothe him. But GOD knows exactly what to do. He hears everything… feels the pain and suffering… understands the heartache and sorrow… and HE can fix what we mere mortals cannot.
It may seem like small consolation to think that God knows what is happening when you are being abused or mistreated… when you are sick and/or suffering. You may be wondering… “If God knows this is happening, why doesn’t He DO something about it?” The answer is complicated, but here’s the “nuts and bolts” of it… God does see our needs, and He IS meeting them. What we have to understand is that God’s timing may not align with ours. Also, we must learn to stay faithful and close to God even when we feel He is not hearing our cries… the times we feel He is not listening… much less answering.
We will never fully understand how God operates in this lifetime. But we must stay faithful that He is “on the clock” on our behalf. He will always rule… He will always have our back… and He will always be right on time. Our job is to believe this… stay strong in our faith… and not resort to criticism of God’s timing. Someday, just like my friend’s daughter, we will “get it.” For now, let it be enough to know that God is always working in your behalf… for the perfect outcome when the time is right.
©2011 Debbie Robus
Our LORD, you will always rule, but nations will vanish from the earth. You listen to the longings of those who suffer. You offer them hope, and you pay attention to their cries for help. You defend orphans and everyone else in need, so that no one on earth can terrify others again.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A friend shared with us recently that her daughter laughed at those who so eagerly share photos of their children on Facebook… until she had her own baby. She said, “Now I get it.” And truly, until we have walked in others’ shoes, we often don’t understand their thinking… the things that make them happy, sad, proud, embarrassed, encouraged or defeated.
But God always understands. He knows the heartache of orphans who long for a home and someone to love them. He understands the fears and disappointment of those who are abused by a parent, spouse, or someone else. He sees the child who is bullied, and His heart is grieved. He “gets it” when someone we love is sick and we are unable to help heal.
I remember feeling so helpless when my brother was ill and slipping away from us. There was nothing we could do to restore his health this side of heaven. I know the frustration of holding a screaming child who can’t tell me where he hurts or what is wrong… and wondering what on earth I can possibly do to soothe him. But GOD knows exactly what to do. He hears everything… feels the pain and suffering… understands the heartache and sorrow… and HE can fix what we mere mortals cannot.
It may seem like small consolation to think that God knows what is happening when you are being abused or mistreated… when you are sick and/or suffering. You may be wondering… “If God knows this is happening, why doesn’t He DO something about it?” The answer is complicated, but here’s the “nuts and bolts” of it… God does see our needs, and He IS meeting them. What we have to understand is that God’s timing may not align with ours. Also, we must learn to stay faithful and close to God even when we feel He is not hearing our cries… the times we feel He is not listening… much less answering.
We will never fully understand how God operates in this lifetime. But we must stay faithful that He is “on the clock” on our behalf. He will always rule… He will always have our back… and He will always be right on time. Our job is to believe this… stay strong in our faith… and not resort to criticism of God’s timing. Someday, just like my friend’s daughter, we will “get it.” For now, let it be enough to know that God is always working in your behalf… for the perfect outcome when the time is right.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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