Timing is everything

A full three hours before I arrive at our rented house in Melbourne’s suburb, my GPS told me that it would take another three hours of driving, that I would arrive at 4:18 PM back at the house. I sent a note to one of our colleagues who was awaiting the car for hand off, so he could plan his day, which included an appointment he had at 5 o'clock. If I arrived as scheduled, he would make his appointment with ease. To me it was amazing. I was so distant and yet my little machine could sort out all this out. I arrived at 4:18 pm.

In another case, the size of the baby on the sonogram told the doctors a likely date for the birth of our third grandson in October this year. As a result, my wife and I made bookings to fly over on certain days in acknowledgment of that medical prediction. The date: 27 October.  I guess it should come as no surprise that just past midnight on 27 October our daughter’s little one entered the world. What precision in their prediction four months earlier? Timing really is everything.

 I think about the some of the sins of the people of God. For instance, when you think about the Golden Calf the Jewish people began to get into trouble when they saw Moses delayed in descending Mt Sinai, and they grew weary of waiting. They could wait no longer and built something else to work and give them satisfaction. Of course, the issue was their relationship with God, not with Moses, but it demonstrated itself in their impatience with him. (Exodus 32.1. “Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”)

King Saul was told to wait by Samuel the prophet. (1 Sam 10.8. “And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do.”)Saul waited seven days butwas reluctant to wait beyond what he seemed reasonable. Thus, before Samuel returned Saul went back to making up his own rules and forgot about the command to wait.  And God judged him severely. (For more on this see this website)

Here in Sydney we pray regularly for the Lord to do His bidding in our lives in a time that suits Him. Yesterday I was working at the office when a phone call from Fairfax Media interrupted. Would we want to take an advert in the Friday paper? Full page. Back of a pull-out section. Discount price. Everything seemed right. I shot up a quick prayer to the Almighty. Within minutes, not only had I written up the text but had spoken directly with an artist who would put together the advert required, in the time required. It was due in less than 24 hours!

Sure enough within the time required, we had a beautiful advertisement and anticipate a great response to the ad running on the Friday of Hanukkah this year. Timing is everything.

Last Saturday I went to ANZ Stadium to pray. What? No synagogues in my neighbourhood? Of course, but this was a special stadium event titled “Jesus loves Australia.” I had heard about it only a few weeks earlier and it captured my attention. 

I began promoting the event on my Facebook and Twitter. Some said they would attend as well. The event was 10 am to 4 pm for prayers, and some other activities and a concert would be held later that afternoon/evening. 

When I received an invitation to pray from the stage last week, I was humbled, and quickly accepted. I prayed about what to pray and God led me well. I took my tallit and kippah, travelled to the stadium and gathered with the others. I was led to the stage, and was the opening batsman, the first one of the invitees, and there were dozens and dozens, to pray. Well, “to the Jew first” makes sense.

I stayed in the stadium and was about ready to leave at 4 pm when some Chinese Christian ladies I had met previously approached me. They introduced me to Amy, and said, “She’s an unbeliever!” and with the wave of an arm invited me to do what I do, to share the love of Jesus with this teenager. 

Long story short, she prayed and professed Jesus as her saviour and Lord. And the ladies were taking photos and Amy was crying and God was smiling. Timing is everything… I was ready to leave and got distracted by a quick catch-up with a mate just metres from where these Chinese ladies found me. If I had left; if my mate hadn’t stopped me; if… but God’s timing is everything.

 And God’s timing is still everything in your life today.

Look up and see Him. Wait when He says, ‘wait.’  Go when He says, “Go!” Serve when He says, “serve” and well, you get the idea. Do what God says. 

Life is good when He is our GPS.

Life is good when He defines our timing.

The Psalmist said, “My times are in Your hand.” (Psalm 31.15)

That’s my humble offering to you this 5^thday of December, and the 4^thnight of Hanukkah.