With God, there is an appointed time for everything. When mankind fell in the garden of Eden, God promised salvation but it didn’t manifest until the appointed time. And even now, every believer is waiting for the appointed time of the return of Jesus Christ. (Genesis 3:15; 1 John 3:8)
Today’s post is to encourage anyone who has given up hope, waiting on God. There is an appointed time for everyone and a set time for the manifestations of God’s goodness. Ecclesiastes 3:11 makes us know that He makes all things beautiful in His own time.
Bringing this down to everyday experiences as believers, there is still an appointed time for things. Sometimes, God shows or tells us the greatness that we would become. But when, where, and how it would manifest, are the things He keeps from us. If we’re being honest, knowing when it would all come into manifestation would help a whole lot but God’s ways are very different from ours. I think a perfect biblical example of this is Joseph.
This was a man who knew from his teenage years that he was going to be great (Genesis 37:1-11). It’s one thing to see people bowing to you but a whole different level of greatness to have your family members bow to you. A rich man would earn the respect of others because he is rich and influential but he may not earn the respect of his immediate family members. A king, on the other hand, would earn the respect of both family and others because, at a single decree, he could have their heads on a platter. Even the parents of a king must subject themselves to him. And God had just shown Joseph that he was going to achieve something similar, his family bowing to him.
Yet, many years after, Joseph was a prisoner in an unknown land. In such situations, it’s easy to ask God when or to even lose hope all together. But as stated earlier, He (God) makes all things beautiful in His own time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Elizabeth was the wife of Zechariah, a priest. Scripture made us understand that the two were righteous in the sight of God (Luke 1:6). But they had been waiting on God for something…their own child. It could be quite disappointing being a man of God and then it seems as if God is leaving you on “no response”. But there was an appointed time for John (their son) to be born. If John had been born earlier, he may have missed being the forerunner of Jesus Christ. (Luke 1:5-19; Matthew 3: 1-12)
When God is holding back that great thing you’ve been praying for, know that He’s preparing you for something greater. However, it all still comes down to how you choose to use your waiting time. Imagine if Elizabeth and Zechariah had chosen to follow other gods. They would have missed on their greatness.
So what you do with your waiting time is very important.
What can you do while awaiting God’s appointed time?
Before the Easter weekend, for the past two weeks, we have been talking about making an impact and being more than ordinary. This was how Joseph prepared for his appointed time. He had a gift and he was made to see his great future but he didn’t just rely on this.
It takes more than being the “gift-man” to have people bow to you. If the ability to interpret dreams was all Joseph had, he would have interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and at most received a handshake and honorarium. But God had built Joseph and his portfolio far beyond that. He had built in Joseph, character, diligence, wisdom, leadership skills and of course, God was with him. Little wonder why Pharaoh was so ready to hand over the entire kingdom to him. (Genesis 41:31-38; Gen 39:4, 21-23)
Each of us is destined for greatness but it would not jump at us. There is an appointed time for it and what we do while we wait for that time is what determines whether or not we would miss it.
What are you doing while you wait for your appointed time? God would not release some things to you until you’re ready to handle them. Maybe why you haven’t received that blessing yet is because you’re inadequately prepared for it.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” Ecclesiastes 3:1
You may feel pressed for time. Or maybe you’re just tired of waiting. Remember that God is not bound by time, He created it and those that wait upon the Lord shall have their strength renewed. Meaning they would be stronger than they were, before the wait.
Jesus’s second coming also has an appointed time and for all we care, it is fast approaching. What we can do while we wait for this appointed time, is to prepare to reign with Him for eternity. Preparing for eternity means securing your soul with Jesus Christ and only those who are born again and live holy are on the right track. John 3:16
P.S: we know there is a time to die and many times, it is unknown to men. The best you can do is to also prepare for eternity.
“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” 1 John 5:11
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