Patiently Trust His Timing

God's direction and timing is always perfect and always with a purpose - but it's often with a purpose we may not initially see or understand. Even when we earnestly ask for direction through prayer and the study of His Word, God's answers are usually not what we expect and are often perceived as slow in arriving...but His direction and timing still remains, always perfect and always with a purpose.

God called Abraham to follow Him when Abraham was already seventy-five years old. But God blessed Abraham with great abundance and soon promised he would have many descendants; "I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted" (Genesis 13:16).

Although this was a wonderful promise from God, it certainly didn't seem possible. Not only was Abraham an old man, but his wife, Sarah, had never been able to have children and now was long past the normal child bearing years. Therefore, when Sarah failed to become pregnant - when God's promise was apparently going to be unfulfilled - she formulated a plan to "help" God.

Genesis 16:2
"The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her."

Since this was an accepted practice and seemed like a reasonable way to fulfill God's promise, Abraham agreed. Not surprisingly, great tension soon developed between Sarah and her maidservant. This tension increased when Ishmael was born and even continues today with the unfortunate hostilities we see in the region of the Middle East. Abraham clearly heard the call and promise of God, but he became impatient with God's timing and resorted to a worldly solution.

It was another thirteen years before God fulfilled His promise through the birth of Isaac. These were thirteen long years of waiting and wondering if God had forgotten...but God's direction and timing is always perfect and always with a purpose. With Abraham one hundred years old and Sarah ninety, the birth of Isaac left no doubt that God was in complete control and guiding the events in Abraham's life.

In a very real sense, we are foreigners in this place and time; "Aliens and strangers on earth" (Hebrews 11:13). We will never understand how all the pieces fit together until we stand before the Creator of the Universe. Until then, we must continue to love and worship Him with all our heart. We must continue to seek His face and ask His guidance for every step. We must continue to follow His direction and patiently trust His timing.

I've only just registered on the website (I get the emailed daily devotions).
That message is spot on for me. There is a large life decision standing in front of me, and will need lots of prayer and wisdom in when to act. There is the temptation to move in our own strength, but being reminded of the consequences of moving in our own strength is a good thing.

Thank you, and God bless.

Hi Andrew! Welcome to the GDWM message board. I wll say a prayer for you.

Lord Father. I ask that you continue to guide Andrew in every decision he has to make. I pray that you become more in his life and he becomes less. I pray for you to be glorified through him and that he will gain the wisdom needed for his future. True wisdom that can only come from You. You are our absolute Truth, Creator, and Comforter. In Jesus name, Amen