The promise of God’s perfect timing is evident throughout Scripture and instills confidence in His timing for our lives. God has a plan and carefully orchestrates it to bring about His purposes. The Lord visited with Abraham and told him his wife would have a child in her old age. Sarah was listening in her tent and laughed silently as she heard those words. Genesis 18:13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” [1]
Sarah and Abraham had hoped for a child for over twenty years, yet now, in her later years, it appeared unattainable. If I were in Sarah’s sandals, I might have wondered about God’s timing. Why not during my youth? Nevertheless, in God’s flawless timing, He chose a moment when having a child was humanly impossible for Sarah. This divine timing ensured that only God could grant her the ability to conceive a child. You and I were also born at a particular time according to His perfect will and schedule.
Patience is part of the Process
Waiting for God’s promises to unfold often requires patience. Sarah and Abraham waited for many years to have a child. When God tells them that Sarah will have a child about this time next year, it offers hope that God’s timing will be precise even after long periods of waiting.
I recently read a story about a young boy who planted seeds in a garden. Expecting the seeds to sprout, he dug them up the following day to understand what had happened. We are much like that child; even as adults, we often don’t realize that God is teaching us as we patiently wait.
Since the Lord visited Abraham when he was seventy-five, he has been on a faith journey. Sarah and Abraham were not the same people they had been earlier. God had much to teach Abraham and Sarah, and rushing the process would not have been helpful in God’s plans.
Joy in His Fulfillment
Imagine the joy and wonder Sarah and Abraham must have felt when Isaac was born at precisely the time God had foretold. God’s perfect timing often amplifies the blessing. There will come a day when every believer enters heaven’s gates. No matter how young or old a person is when they enter into eternity, it will be in God’s perfect timing.
Jesus gives us a promise. John 3:16For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [2] Can you picture the joy on the faces of those who entered heaven today as God kept His promises to them?
Where are you currently waiting on a promise from God? Today’s verse serves as a gentle reminder to trust in God’s appointed time. Remember that the same God who spoke to Abraham and Sarah is the same God who holds your future in His hands. His promises are sure, and He will fulfill them in His perfect timing.
To learn more about the promise of God’s perfect timing, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/laughter-and-doubt
[1-2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.