When God Doesn't Show Up On Time
Time is an interesting concept. Scientists and philosophers have attempted to define it but have not reached anything near a consensus as to what it actually is. Those of us in California (and many other states) just had to change our clocks due to Daylight Savings “Time”. Did we really “save” any time? Is time something we can control?
Think about the various ways we view and use the word “time”:
We use a timer when baking because we want our cakes, cookies, soufflés, or other goodies to come out just right. Too much or too little time and those goodies will either be a jumbled glob of goo or a blackened mass of inedible crunchiness.
Many teachers and parents use a particular technique when a child is displaying inappropriate behavior. It is called a time out. How much “time” is allotted depends on the infraction (and/or the mood of the teacher or parent!)
Most sports use some method of keeping track of time expired and time remaining in a match or game. Hockey even uses a type of “time out” for those players who have merited it!
SpaceX and NASA are dependent upon the timing of their launches. In order to place their rocket and payload in the preferred orbit, they cannot afford to just say, “Oh, alright, just press the button when you think you’re ready.” Time is a critical factor.
The entire globe is wrapped in invisible “time zones”.
We all use time in various ways: time to get up, time to go to bed, time to get a new car, time for our dental appointment, time to go to work. And there are not many who have not watched the clock intensely as it counts down the time to get off work!
Let’s face it. We are stuck in this thing called time. We cannot escape its grasp. We are creatures that need a sense of order and time helps us do that. There are moments, however, when time is interrupted and our world gets upset in some way (illness, financial collapse, failure of a relationship, or some other crisis) and we go to God and ask for help. And, after we request His help, do we “wait patiently” for His answer? What happens when our sense of time doesn’t mesh with God’s sense of time? What happens when God doesn’t show up “on time”?
All of us, on occasion, have wondered why God seems to take so long. “Why hasn’t He done something yet?” Even the Psalmist, Asaph, cried out, “Has God forgotten to be gracious?” (Psalm 77:9) We get tense and maybe even a bit exasperated because it would seem that God is relaxing on His back porch, sipping on some heavenly sweet tea, and completely ignoring the fact that we need an answer NOW! Where is He???
The Bible is filled with stories that, at first glance, would appear that God was “late”. Here are just a few:
Abraham and Sarah. Abraham was 75 years old when God said, “I will make of you a great nation.” (Genesis 12:2). It would seem that the “biological clock” was close to the end when God made this promise. But it wasn’t until 25 years later that the promise was fulfilled in Genesis 21:5. God wasn’t late. He had the right time.
Moses and Israel at the Red Sea. Israel was being chased by Pharaoh and the entire Egyptian army. When they arrived at the Red Sea, it would seem that they were trapped: an uncrossable body of water before them and an inescapable army behind them. Why didn’t God choose a different path? Because God wanted them to know it was HE who chose the time and place. “And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD…The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.’” (Exodus 14:13-14)
Joseph. Joseph’s life could be summed up in these words: from pit to prison to purpose. Joseph was thrown into a pit and then sold by his brothers into slavery, he was falsely accused and thrown into prison on deceitful charges, and it would seem that his whole life was a complete mess. But, God had other plans. Even though it would seem that God had forgotten him, Joseph was eventually placed as second only to Pharaoh himself at a time of great need. When his brothers stood quaking before him, he reminded them of God’s timing, “…for God sent me before you to preserve life…So it was not you who sent me here, but God.” (Genesis 45:7-8)
Jesus and Lazarus. Jesus had a deep bond with this family. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were not only supporters of His ministry, they had become His friends. So, when Jesus had heard that Lazarus was gravely ill, you would think He would rush to his side. But He didn’t. John 11:6 records that He actually remained where He was for two additional days. Why? He could have spoken the word from where he was and healed Lazarus. The answer comes a few verses later in John 11:14, “Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.’”
We should take comfort from the fact that God created this thing we call “time” but is not, Himself, subject to it. He is outside of our limitations. He is above our finite restrictions. When God appears to be “late” it is because we are using our own timetable and not His.
Let us hold tightly to the promise we have in God’s Word that He truly loves and cares for us. Let us cling to the hope in Romans 8:31, 38-39,
“If God is for us, who can be against us?…For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”