God's Timing Is Perfect, Even When Ours Isn't - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - January 15, 2025
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-10 (NIV)
Before I met my husband, the years seemed to be ticking by on when I'd finally have a boyfriend. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, I'd ask my mom to predict how I'd meet my Prince Charming and pray it would magically come true. While it was all fun and games, the reality was that I was discontent with being single. God knew that until I was willing to surrender my future relationships to Him, it wouldn't be time to meet the Mr.
It sounds cliché, but after I surrendered these desires to the Lord, I met my future husband a few weeks later. This isn't everyone's story—there are many Christians who have fully given their heart's desires to the Lord and are still waiting on someone special. I'm not to say how God decides when we're ready and when we're not. But I do know two things:
1. I empathize with those patiently (or maybe not-so patiently) waiting.
2. God's timing is better than we could ever ask, think, plan, scheme, or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
In my case, my husband and I didn't have an immediate connection. I thought he was cute, but he looked way too young and nerdy for me. Even as I got to know him, we dated for a short period and then broke up. I was devastated because I'd prayed to God to date and marry one person.
A few months after we broke up, we got back together. It was through much prayer and discernment that we made this decision, but it was the second-best decision of my life (salvation to Jesus being first). Five years later, we tied the knot, and as of today, we've been married for over a year and a half. I couldn't be happier.
If I had planned my love story, it certainly wouldn't have looked like this. Who wants to date someone, break up, and get back together? On top of that, who wants to have their heart broken by a dozen other crushes before meeting the right one? I know I didn't enjoy that part of waiting. But deep down, I wouldn't ask for my love story any other way. Why? Because I know and believe it was ordained by a perfect God who has written the perfect story for me.
In Ephesians 3:1-10, Paul reminds us that Christ has the perfect timing for each of us, in every area of our lives. There is a time for life and death, joy and sorrow, building and destruction, speaking and listening, love and hate, declaring war and making peace, and the list continues. But what I love most about this verse is that there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.
I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people who hates winter. Seriously. If I had a choice, I would skip straight to summer and play it on repeat four times a year. But would I love and appreciate summer without the crispness of fall? Would I rejoice in the warmth if I didn't know the cold? Would I delight in the flowers if they didn't bloom for a while?
No matter what season or situation you're walking through today, it's my prayer that you will see God's good hand at work because His timing is perfect, even when ours is not. He knows what we need before we speak it (Matthew 6:8), and He's never late or early, but always right on time (2 Peter 3:9).
Let's pray:
Dear Jesus,
I know how difficult it can be to wait for your perfect timing. From relationships to finances and test results, we're tempted to take things into our hands. Help us release these things to you knowing that you're a good, good Father, and you have what's perfect and best in store for us. You're never too late or too early, and you don't withhold good things from us unless it's good for us to wait. Help us have endurance in this process, and help us praise you as we wait for your perfect timing. We love, praise, and thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Agape, Amber
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