Today we read a promise God gave to His people hundreds of years in advance of the birth of Jesus. When the timing was right, this promise was fulfilled by the birth of Jesus. Noah built an ark for close to 100 years before rain came. Joseph sat unfairly imprisoned for more than a dozen years before he was elevated to a mighty ruler in Egypt. King David was anointed to be king and then was chased as a common criminal for decades before he ever sat on the throne God planned for him. From these and many other accounts in the history of the people of God, we have conclusive evidence that God knows the right time for all things to take place. He will neither be too late nor too early. God will act, at just the right time.
The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). (Isaiah 7:14 NLT)
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. (Matthew 1:22-24 NLT)
We live in a world of instant gratification. We notice something we want and decide we must have it right now. God gives us a lovely example of patience and timeliness on which we can reflect during this pre-Christmas season. God has promised to wipe away all evil and gather a faithful people to Himself. However, He patiently waits for us to turn to Him and surrender our lives of selfishness and sin. He won't wait forever, but He is waiting until the season of invitation is complete. Jesus was born at God's designated time. Jesus died for us and took the punishment for our sins at just the right time and opened the door to God's saving grace so that we would be ready when He comes for us to spend eternity with Him.
God knows us better than we know ourselves. He is with us, watching us, helping us, and growing us into the mature followers of Jesus that we were created to be. Sometimes, that means God acts quickly in answer to our prayers, and sometimes, that means He waits for events to take place and choices to be made. He's working with the whole process but He has the appointed time scheduled for everything that touches our lives. Today is a wonderful time to reflect on God's actions through time and history and remind ourselves that He will always act at just the right time.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 NIV)
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