God's Timing

Read Psalm 31:14-24

But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. Let your face shine upon servant; save me in your steadfast love. Do not let me be put to shame; O Lord, for I call on you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go dumbfounded to Sheol. Let the lying lips be stilled that speak insolently against the righteous with pride and contempt. Psalm 31:14-18 (NRSV)

For every matter has its time and way, although the troubles of mortals lie heavy upon them.

Ecclesiastes 8:6 (NRSV)

Patrick Castleberry lives in Mississippi. As an avid gamer, many of his favorites are 2D side-scrolling platformers. a well-crafted game of this type can provide a player with an exhilarating feeling of unstoppable momentum as they run and jump toward the end of each level. Proper timing and reflexes are essential as a single missed jump can send the player's character hurtling toward their doom.

While playing a game like this the other day, Patrick suddenly found himself thinking that the need for constant forward progress says a lot about our society. It seems that we are always in a rush to get somewhere or meet some goal. We're told by society and media that if we aren't hustling, we're wasting our time and being passed up by others.

Fortunately, God does not measure time and progress in the same way we do. God is the past, present, and future, and while we abide in God our time is not wasted even if the world seemingly passes us by. God's plans for us will be fulfilled.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us not to rely on our own perception of time but trust in your divine timing in fulfilling your promises to us, in Jesus' name. Amen.