God’s Timing
by John Berry
How often have we remarked about the amazing way God works things out ‘at just the right time’. Whether it be the train that arrives late, as we get to the station late, or the finance that comes when we have a desperate need, God is right when He tells us He knows our need, even down to the day or hour.
We had a demonstration of this recently when a guest on one of our courses here at Glyndley Manor needed to be taken to hospital by ambulance. The question was asked by the paramedics “do you have a lift?” (an elevator), as the guest was in a wheelchair upstairs. A week earlier we would have had to reply that we had one but weren’t able to use it, as the building work had not yet been completed to safety requirements. However during the previous few days the site and facilities team had been working to make the area both useable and clean. The ambulance crew didn’t have to carry the guest down the stairs in the wheelchair. They were able to use the lift for that which it was intended.
Although the work isn’t finished yet, God had prompted us to get it to such a state of readiness that it was useful for that moment. We’re sure He will also provide the finance for the work to be completed.
The Apostle Paul reminds us of the supreme example of God’s timing. ‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6). We could ask why God didn’t bring the death and resurrection of Jesus sooner in mankind’s history, or why He didn’t bring it at a later date. Historians show us that it was actually the perfect time for the Gospel to be proclaimed. God knew what He was doing.
So, next time we want to put God’s actions into our time scale perhaps we should stop and ask Him “when is the right time for this to happen, God?”, and follow it with a prayer for patience!
Prayer: Father God, I thank You that You know better than I do when ‘the right time’ is. I confess my frustrations and impatience when things don’t happen when I think they should. Please help me to trust Your timing in the small and large things of life, as You have an infinitely bigger understanding of my situation than I do. Amen.
John Berry entered the Baptist Ministry more than 40 years ago, and joined the Team at Ellel Glyndley Manor in 2007 with his wife Jennie. They have both now retired from the team but remain as part of the Teaching and Associate Ministry Teams at Glyndley. John and Jennie have seven Grandchildren.
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