The Importance of Trusting In God’s Perfect Timing
Have you ever been waiting on God for something and He comes back with the answer “in due time” or “at the appointed season?”
If I’m being honest, I strongly disliked this answer. I wanted results and I needed the answers immediately…or so I thought.
I struggled with this for years. And because you’re reading this article, you probably are too.
Why does God make us wait? Why can’t He just tell us the when’s, who’s, how’s, and where’s?
Ever ask Him these questions and all you get is silence? I got this plenty of times. But, God being God. Instead of answering all the questions I had no business asking, He began to teach me the importance of waiting.
So in this article, I want to provide you with godly encouragement to help you make the most out of your waiting season. This is information I wished I’d realized earlier in my Christian journey.
Because once you truly embrace the fact that all good things come in God’s perfect timing, life gets easier and much more peaceful.
Of note, all bible verses for this article were taken from biblegateway.com. NIV version is used.
Why does God require us to wait for His perfect timing?
To answer this question, we must remind ourselves about who God is and how He operates.
2 Peter 3:8-9 states,
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
God is not operating in our time. He has His own. He is omnipresent and looks at the past, present, and future.
Let’s take a look at a biblical example through Hannah.
She had prayed for a child for years. Each time, it seemed as if she was denied.
In 1 Samuel 2, the wickedness of Eli’s sons is revealed to us. Eli and his bloodline were set apart as God’s priests. Yet, the Bible states that Eli’s sons “had no regard for the Lord.”
They sinned against Him and abused their position. So God found a man who would follow Him in properly shepherding His people. In God’s perfect timing, Hannah gave birth to Samuel, the last judge of Israel and the man who would counsel its first kings.
For Hannah, it may have seemed that motherhood would never happen for her. But, God always had a plan and a reason for her wait. The same goes for you.
By the way, be sure to check out my blog post on biblical lessons from Hannah when you’re done with this one.
Let’s take a look at another biblical Christian who understood God’s perfect timing.
Known as one of the greatest kings of Israel and a man after God’s heart, David was anointed to be king at 15. However, he didn’t take the throne until he was 30.
Now most of us, if we were told we are to be king or queen, then we’d be looking for God to remove Saul. However, God had other plans.
After his anointing, David went back to being a shepherd for a period of time.
In the years between David’s anointing and leading up to his taking the throne, God was preparing David for the great assignment. During this time, He allowed David to grow in wisdom and faith as he taught him how to shepherd His people.
God was also giving Saul a chance to repent, which he never did. Instead, he kept digging a deeper hole for himself.
Our final example of a Christian who waited in God’s perfect timing is Jesus.
Jesus’s ministry didn’t start until he was 30 years old. Born to be the Savior of the world, God even made Him wait until an appointed time.
This is why I stated above that if God has you waiting, you’re in good company. As you can see from the Christians who came before us, there is always a purpose in the wait. It’s preparation for the fulfillment of your God-given calling.
Before we move on to the next section, quick question. Are you on our email list? We offer godly encouragement to your inbox. You can sign up here. Promise not to spam you, just encourage you.
The Benefits of Trusting in God’s Perfect Timing
Waiting on God can be hard. But, as alluded to above, there are benefits in trusting in God’s perfect timing. Let’s take a look at some of them.
1. Trusting in God’s perfect timing brings patience, a fruit of the spirit.
Galatians 5: 22-23 states,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
So I was on the Youversion app during my quiet time with God and there was a pastor speaking on the fruits of the Spirit.
He explained that fruit is the result of a good tree with healthy roots. We may think we can just work on having more patience or being more kind. However, it all starts with our spiritual health and the roots that we have.
His message was that if we stay in Jesus, those things will come naturally. And I agree.
2. Waiting in God’s perfect timing establishes order for your life.
1 Corinthians 14:33 states,
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
If we look at how night falls and dawn begins, how the seasons cycle, and how the stars in the heavens align, we see evidence of one of God’s characteristics….order.
In his ultimate power, sovereignty, and wisdom, the universe and everything in it are moving within His appointed time.
And that’s not all, Psalm 139:16 tells us,
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Even though He has His attention on the whole world bringing in seasons, days, and hours, He knew you before the beginning of time. He knew every step you would take and every word you would speak.
You were created with a purpose. And as He has placed order upon the universe, He is also ordering your steps.
Sometimes we want things and the timing is not yet appropriate. In His infinite wisdom, God knows this and Him making you wait is an act of love and care.
As my mom always tells me, you must crawl before you walk.
3. Waiting in God’s perfect timing is crucial for your preparation.
One study shows 96% of Americans will consume hot drinks or food that could burn their mouths as a result of their impatience. We live in a time where it can be easy to get instant gratification with the high speeds of our internet, Amazon’s two-day shipping, and fast food just to name a few.
Yet, God is in no rush and doesn’t operate on the world’s timelines.
There have been plenty of times that I have prayed and begged God for something. In doing so I ignored my season of preparation.
I didn’t savor the lessons that He was teaching me. I didn’t stop to smell the roses accepting the beauty in each season that I was in.
And do you know what happened? I found myself complaining to Him about the very thing that I had asked for.
One day He revealed this to me. He told me how I jumped into some things head first and when trials came, I got overwhelmed. This resulted in me asking him to take back what I had prayed for (hides face).
God doesn’t want the gifts and blessings He’s bestowing on you to seem like a burden when they’re not. So enjoy your season as you stand waiting in God’s perfect timing. Allow Him to prepare you and pay attention to everything He’s teaching through both blessings and trials.
So now that we know the benefits of waiting on God’s timing, this leads us to the next question.
How can you wait patiently for God’s timing?
It’s not just the fact that you waited that God is looking at, He’s also looking at your posture in waiting. Will you be persistent in prayer like Hannah or will you try to take matters into your own hands like Sarah?
Here are a few tips on standing firmly and patiently waiting on God’s perfect timing.
1. Spend more time with God.
As you spend more time with God, you start to think and act like Him. As I mentioned above when discussing the spiritual fruit of patience, fruit is the product of a healthy tree with healthy roots.
Ensure that you are spiritually healthy and that your roots are deep by reading God’s word, spending time in worship, and fellowshipping with others.
You can also check out my blog article on tips for spending more time with God.
2. Be persistent in prayer as you wait
When you’re waiting and waiting well, the enemy would love to disrupt this. He starts to try and convince you that God has forgotten your request or that God isn’t hearing you.
That’s where the spiritual weapon of prayer comes in. I encourage you to pray even harder in these moments. Tell God how hard it is to wait. Ask him for strength and if it is His will to reveal His perspective.
3. Keep your eyes on Jesus
In waiting for God’s perfect timing, it’s tempting to look to the left or to the right at what other people are doing and accomplishing.
DON’T do this to yourself.
In the book of John chapter 21, we see Jesus correcting Peter for doing this. In verses 15-19, Jesus assigns Peter the task of caring for his sheep while rising as a leader of the church.
The very next verses (John 21:20-22) states,
Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.
Instead of focusing on the other disciple, Jesus is telling Peter to focus on the great work He had just given him. And more importantly, follow Him and not what’s going on around Him.
The same goes for us. Remember that God has a plan designed specifically for you. Your gifts and talents were strategically given to help you accomplish those tasks.
To be as effective as you can, keep your eyes on Jesus.
4. Surrender your will for God’s
Have you ever seen the meme where there’s a depiction of Jesus asking a little girl for her teddy bear, but behind his back (which the little girl can’t see) is a bigger one He’s ready to give her?
If you haven’t, google “Jesus and teddy bear” and it will pop right up.
This is a perfect depiction of what it looks like to surrender one’s will for God’s. We must trust that He knows better than we do.
5. Lean on friends and loved one
Waiting is hard, but you don’t have to do it alone. Jesus is right there of course. But, you can also call on friends and/or loved ones to pray with you as you wait for God’s perfect timing.
Final thoughts on having confidence in God’s perfect Timing
In this article, we have discussed why God makes us wait, the benefits of waiting on God’s timing, and how to wait patiently.
I hope this article blesses you on your journey with Christ. If it did, let me know in the comments.
As always, be blessed. Until next time.
-Dr. Jay
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Casting Your Cares on Jesus and Enjoying Your Life
What God is teaching Christians Today Through Hannah’s Story in the Bible
