God is never late. He’s also never early. How can this be? How can we be waiting on the Lord when He’s outside of time? Let’s dive in and see what the Bible has to say.
The physical realm is a temporal existence. I have my own theories about time but we won’t get into that. What I will say is that God lives in eternity. What does that mean? How can our measured existence be compared to the inexpressible glory of eternity? What even is eternity? Let’s look at John 6:47 KJV – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” In this context, everlasting means, “without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be; without beginning; without end, never to cease, everlasting, perpetual.” Those that believe on Jesus as Lord will have everlasting life. A perpetual connection to God Himself who is life. A never-ending relationship with an eternal being.
We learn in Colossians 1:17 that all things consist in God. God is omni-present. He’s everywhere at once. He created all things for a purpose. Even Satan had a purpose to be a worship leader in Heaven. But he decided he wanted the glory for himself and was thrown out of Heaven. God will have the ultimate victory when all is complete.
God is love. In 1 Corinthians 13:7 we learn that one of the attributes of love is endurance. God’s love is ever-enduring. He never gives up on a soul. Love never fails. God encompasses everything good. God knows the end from the beginning we read in Isaiah 46:10. He knows the future and only thinks good about us as Jeremiah 29:11 tells us. But what purpose could God have for time?
To us, time is the decay of all things. We can measure time by age. We can see when time has passed because something has changed from the original state. We can see plants, animals, humans, and all manner of matter affected by time. God is eternal. He is the Everlasting God. He’s never not been around. We can’t fathom how that can be, but God has no beginning and no end He tells us four times in Revelation 1:8, 1:11, 21:6, and 22:13. What could an eternal entity want with us?
We already mentioned it; God is love. God’s purpose for time is for Him to show us the immeasurable depths of His love so we will desire to build an intimate relationship with Him, learn to trust Him in all things, and share His goodness with everyone around us. We’ll be able to testify about His redemptive works in our life. Time is the process in which we experience God in this realm.
Jesus experienced this redemption too. Jesus when He came to Earth as a man experienced this time paradox. He was eternal and yet human at the same time. He went through the same things as us and yet He remained unstained by sin. Jesus knows what time it is. He experienced it firsthand. He knows what it was like to grow and mature from a child to an adult. Jesus can empathize with us.
I’m sure there were times He had to learn to wait for the right timing from God. My best example comes from John 2:4 when Jesus is at the wedding in Cana. He told His mother that His time had not yet come. Jesus did not believe it was time for His ministry to start. He was waiting on the Father’s direction. Later on, He went to the cross knowing it would be a long, agonizing, and painful experience. He would have to suffer injury and endure shame, reproach, and the burden of all sin. There was a moment in Matthew 27:46 when the Father turned away from Jesus and this must have been the most painful part of it all. He had always been with the Father. Even if it was for just a second, it must have felt like a part of Him being ripped out of His spirit which we cannot even wrap our mind around. He died and three days later resurrected. He experienced all of time’s pitfalls and was victorious over death, Hell, and the grave. Jesus knows what it’s like to wait and let patience have its work in the heart.
Just like Jesus, we can let patience work in us. Patience is the process of faith maturing. The time it takes for the Word of God to get from your mind into your heart. Time is the not the issue. God is outside of time. He measures maturity. When you keep your mind on things above and not on things of the Earth, you will be maturing your faith. Speak the Word, recite it, sing it to yourself, write it down, plaster it over every wall, door, mirror, and appliance in your house, put it on your windshield or on your dashboard, commune with God, pray, meet with other like-minded individuals, go to church, take part in fellowship with other believers, and always be looking into the perfect law of liberty that is Jesus!
Time is important to us. It is our most precious commodity. What we choose to invest our time in will determine much of our destiny in Christ. Investing time in God is a good investment! The return on investment is the highest you will ever find! I challenge you to stop looking at the, “when,” and start enjoying relationship with God in the, “now.”
“Father, I come to You in the mighty name of Jesus. Help me to stop looking at things in the natural. Help me to focus my attention on You and Your goodness. Lord, I’ve settled in my heart that it doesn’t matter how long it takes. I’m going to enjoy my time with You as much as possible. You are the joy of my life and I’m privileged to know you as my Father. Thank You for always taking care of my needs. Thank You for loving me with an everlasting love. Thank You for every one of Your promises. I stand on Your Word knowing that I’m growing in You each day. Thank You for teaching me and instructing me in the ways of righteousness. I love, adore, and honor You above all else in my life. In Jesus’ name I commit this prayer. Amen.”
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-With all of Love’s blessings,
Aaron Beach
