WHEN IT'S GOD'S TIMING AND NOT OURS...by Vicki Taylor

How many times have you jumped in and done God’s work for Him without even consulting with Him? I can’t even begin to count the number of times I have “helped God out” by going ahead of Him and doing what was needed to be done, only to really mess things up. Do I have any takers out there? Because I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Isaiah 55:8 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.”  Now, I know that verse by heart, but do I live it? Hmmmm……

Sunday during Sunday School, my teacher, who happens to be my husband, was teaching about the servant who came to tell Jesus that Lazarus was sick. Now my teacher keeps impressing on us that Jesus does not do anything 1) that the Father does not want Him to do and 2) that does not have a meaning/lesson for us. So, when the servant came to tell Jesus that Lazarus was sick, Jesus remained on the other side of the Jordan for two more days. Keep in mind that it was a day’s journey to Bethany. Let’s do the math… it took the servant one day to get there, Jesus stayed two more days, then He had to journey one day to go to Bethany, making that four days, knowing all the while that Lazarus was sick and probably dead. Well, since He was Jesus, He did know that Lazarus was dead, but no one else knew that.   

Ok, did you see what I saw? Jesus did not seem to be in any hurry to get there, right? Because His timing is not our timing… and what did Martha say when she saw Him? “If You had been here our brother would not have died.” His ways are not our ways…  

Even His disciples, who had traveled and lived with Him for three years still did not understand Him. On the journey to Bethany, they argued with Him that Lazarus was just asleep and when they got there he would wake up. Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.” In other words, they still did not believe Him, and Who He was. 

How many times in our own lives have we “not believed” and then done things our own way? There are people in my life right now that are lost and out of God’s will. No matter what I do or how hard I try, nothing is going to change as long as I am doing it my way. God plainly spoke to me Sunday morning about a situation going on in my life that, in His timing, I must wait on and I must trust Him for this person who so desperately needs salvation. My responsibility is to pray for that person and that’s it. Period! Salvation comes from the Lord, not from Vicki! Boy, did He step on my toes! Honestly I had such a peace come over me and I was so relieved. It really isn’t my problem; it’s His. Now, I’m not saying I won’t try to take it back, but I now have something to throw back at Satan when he tries to steal my joy.

The rest of the story … After it was all over and Lazarus came out of the grave, you will never guess what Jesus did. He looked around at everyone and said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Can’t you just see Jesus standing there going, “What? Didn’t I tell you something was going to happen if you believed?”  

I don’t know about you, but I want to see God do a work in my life and the lives of my loved ones. Then I want to see the glory of God and know that’s what I am seeing. But … I have to wait on His timing. I’m willing to wait, are you?