God’s Timing Is Spot On

“Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable and favorable time
I have heard and answered you, and in a day of salvation
I have helped you; and I will preserve you and
give you for a covenant to the people . . .”

Isaiah 49:8 AMP

God’s timing is so perfect, down to the millisecond. He is never late, never early. His timing is neither random nor accidental – He is spot on.

I find that we often push the envelope in an effort to get Him to move faster or catch up to us and our plans. But then we learn: Faster is not always better.

I experienced a simple but telling object lesson recently. My husband, Matt, and I have raised chickens for a number of years and the time had come to butcher the older hens and order new chicks. With each attempt to call the hatchery I was met with the beeping busy signal.

It’s so rare to get a busy signal anymore; I’d almost forgotten what they sound like. But with each one I went back to the catalog and rechecked my order. And every time I found a new order option or piece of information about availability that I had missed before. Each and every time I made important adjustments to my order.

By the afternoon, I began to think my call might never make it through but tried one more time. This time a very friendly lady answered the phone and something clicked in my spirit: If she would have answered any of my other six calls, I would not have been fully prepared. Without all of the necessary information I would have gotten what I asked for, but not what I wanted or needed.

How often we cry out to God, “I’m ready! Let’s go!” Yet we truly don’t know what our next breath will hold, let alone the next mile. Crucial pieces of the picture, pieces we may never see, are still being put into place. People, places, plans, provision. The Holy Spirit is the Master Builder.

I had to remind myself of this truth again this week. I’ve been working on a second book off and on for the last couple of years. I told myself that it would be done this summer. Summer is winding down, though, and I’m more than a few thousand words from the finish line.

My days have overflowed with good, important tasks. There have been surprises and secrets the Holy Spirit unveiled at the last minute. I haven’t been sitting around wasting my days, but the last few months have definitely not looked like I thought they would.

Do you feel the tug of the calendar?

Do you keep counting back the days to see how long you’ve been waiting for something?

It only takes a glance in the direction of panic and soon you’re entertaining it in your living room. But while you worry and fuss and try to figure out how to make it all happen the Holy Spirit is wisely and meticulously putting things in order, helping you leave unnecessary luggage behind, and teaching you to trust Him in a greater measure.

Each moment is a precious gift. Each hour – more important to the Holy Spirit than we know. May He seal on our hearts the object lessons of patience. May we treasure each step as a gift rather than always striving and reaching over it to the next. May we find the joy and rest He is leading us into by knowing: He is perfectly wise, perfectly good, and completely powerful.

Find more of Amy’s encouragement in My Permanent To-Do List .

Amy Layne Litzelman is passionate about knowing God more intimately in each moment and helping others do the same. Amy released her first book, This Beloved Road: A Journey of Revelation and Worship, in 2011. She has also composed over seventy songs, recorded four CDs, and traveled to teach and lead worship across the United States and in the Philippines and China. She and her husband, Matt, live in Jackson Hole, WY and have two adult sons.

Click here to learn more about gifted faith writer Amy Layne Litzelman.