God's Timing

"But the angel said, 'I am Gabriel, the sentinel of God, sent especially to bring you this glad news. But because you won't believe me, you'll be unable to say a word until the day of your son's birth. Every word I've spoken to you will come true on time - God's time.'" -Luke 1:20

In the Bible, Zachariah was a priest who lived during the reign of King Herod.  He and his wife Elizabeth were God-fearing people, who the Bible says, “lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God.”  (Luke 1:6)

Zachariah and his wife had always wanted children, but they couldn’t conceive.  At this time, they were getting “quite old.” (v. 7)

One day, Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties at the temple, on his assigned schedule.  It was his turn to enter the sanctuary and burn incense.  While he was there, something incredible happened: an angel appeared to Him and told him he and his wife would have a son. 

At first, Zachariah didn’t believe him. "Do you expect me to believe this?” he said. “I'm an old man and my wife is an old woman."  The angel again confirmed what he was saying, made Zachariah mute, and said, “Every word I’ve spoken to you will come true on time – God’s time.”(v. 20)

Sometimes in life we can doubt God’s working in our lives.  We may feel we are too young, too old, too ill equipped or too unholy for God to use us.  This is when God shows us we are to “mute our feelings” so we don’t speak doubt and death over His plan for us.  Our part is trusting God, keeping His ways, and living with a “clear conscience” as Zachariah and his wife did.  We can’t make God’s will happen in our own strength.

Are you able to trust God’s timing?

Supernatural Productivity

“…If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” – Exodus 33:15

Do you want to be more productive in your life?  It seems there are more books written, blogs created, and seminars conducted on increasing personal productivity than ever before.  After all, if time equals money, then our best asset would be to increase the amount of time we have, and decrease the time it takes to accomplish various tasks.  In America, we are a particularly performance-driven society.  Anything that could save us time definitely grabs our attention!

But, are we missing something when we look merely at better ways to get things done?  Sure, this is helpful and practical, but – are we missing some sort of “x” factor or special sauce we keep searching for in the realm of producing more and becoming more effective?

I believe as Christians you and I have a special advantage.  We do have that “x” factor, that “special sauce.”  He is the Holy Spirit.  Paul Cuny, in his book Secrets of the Kingdom Economy describes the relationship between our worship to God and our personal productivity: 

One morning the Lord woke me very early to pray. This has been a regular occurrence for me over the years and the part of my day that I cherish.  For over 20 years, I had run a demanding business, and at God’s direction, I began a process of re-structuring my life to spend more time in prayer, study, writing, and fulfilling the two assignments He gave me in the mid-90s. In many ways, this was my time of activation, so to speak.

…That morning the Lord said two words, activity and presence.  I pondered those words for some time and finally asked the Lord if He would explain what they meant… He said something that has profoundly impacted my life:  “Activity will never produce My presence.  My presence will always produce focused, productive activity.”  -Secrets of the Kingdom Economy, pp. 45-46.

Jesus did only what the Father showed him to do. He manifested the Father’s presence in the area of His calling by spending time with Him. Do you need to make more room for God, so that He can in turn make you more effective?  Set aside time to pray, to worship, or to journal.  See how God will increase your productivity when you do!

Waiting on God

"Be still and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world." -Ps 46:10

We humans don't like to wait on God.  We are naturally impatient.  We want everything to happen - right now!  But sometimes our walk of faith requires patience.  In fact, most of the time, it does.

You might have already noticed, God's timing is very different than ours.  He doesn't work by our standards.   Did you know it took 15 years for Sarah to have a baby after God's promise to Abraham?  When God told Abraham the first time he would have a son he was 86 years old.  But when Sarah actually had Isaac Abraham was 100!  God's timing is definitely different than ours.

When I think of people who have inspired me in my faith, it's not necessarily those ones who are busy doing lots of things for God.  It's those people who take the time to really hear His voice, and get His anointing and presence on their lives. This is what truly changes us, and those around us.

To know God's timing we must wait on Him.  Sometimes when we don't know what to do the best thing is just be still and listen.  The answer may not come right away, but God's presence, grace and peace can get us through just about anything.  

Have you waited on God today?