Perfect Timing
How often do you think about the future? And when you think of your future, do you get excited or do you feel anxious? In the United States we tend to be very forward thinking. We are always making plans and considering possibilities – running through positive and negative scenarios. Many cultures of the world, however, tend to place a high value on the past. They learn from and honor events and people of the past. Such cultures enjoy hearing stories of how things used to be, and tend to hold older people in high esteem.
Time is part of God’s creation. God is above and beyond time. He doesn’t grow old, and He is not anxious about uncertainties related to the future. God created time to flow like a river – from the future, through the present and into the past. We may have a sense of what is coming down the river, but often we cannot see very far upstream because the river bends. We can look downstream at the things that have passed by us, but we can only really experience the river that is in our present.
One of the major challenges of our lives is to receive God as the Lord over time, and understand that His timing is everything. He is the One who determined when the “time had fully come” to send Jesus to be born of a woman. (Galatians 4:4) It was “at just the right time.” (Romans 5:6) God knows where the future is going (or to stay with the “river” analogy – where the future is coming from), so He knows how to prepare us. The words of prophecy serve as a kind of preparation – a description of the future (things that are coming from upstream), given in the present or past (sent downstream). It is all one continuous river to God.
We can learn a great deal remembering the past, by reflecting upon what has already taken place. This can add wisdom to our lives. We will also do well to make solid plans for the future. Yet, Jesus told us to particularly focus on the present. He said not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34), but to entrust our future to God – Who knows what’s coming down stream. Such an understanding of God and time allows us to be alert, attentive and present in life. We don’t have to constantly crane our necks to catch a glimpse of what’s around the bend. We don’t need to worry or be afraid; God holds our whole lives (past, present and future) in His hands. He who sees the whole river, sees your whole life. He knows what has happened to you, what you are going through and what’s coming your way.
You don’t need to rely on your understanding alone. (Proverbs 3:5-6) When God says not to be afraid because He is with you, you can rest assured because He also knows the future. Can you trust the Time-River God to prepare you and lead you through what is coming? His timing is perfect – He is with you to lead you upstream through the waters which He can already see.
Living in God’s Time with you,
Pastor Tom
tgriffith@rolcboston.org
