At Just the Right Time

-

 Read Romans 5:1-8

Virtually the entire Old Testament, from Genesis 3 to Matthew, is the story of God’s people waiting. Adam and Eve chose not to follow God’s command and sin came into God’s perfect creation. From that time, people were waiting for God’s Messiah to come and save them from their sins. God promised to bring salvation to all people, delivering them from under Satan’s dominion. They were not always conscious of the waiting, but it was always there. As the prophets began to speak about the promised Messiah, there was an anticipation of the event. However, that was not always enough to keep God’s people on track and living according to God’s plan.


Why in the world did God not offer the sacrifice of the Messiah right away when it was first needed?

Honestly, I do not know the answer to that, but it has to do with waiting. And God’s justice. And patience. And perfect timing.  And demonstrating the faithfulness of God. And it’s about providing hope for the future.

Romans 5:6, Paul tells us, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”

At just the right time. That is a phrase packed with meaning and power. Only God knows when “just the right time” is. Our limited human vision does not allow us to see what God can see so clearly.

Take a few minutes to consider what it takes to be “just the right time.” Start with thinking in human terms, and then try to move into God’s way of thinking.

What might have to happen for your answer to prayer to come at "just the right time?"


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Committed to Prayer

-
Image
Read Daniel 10 to get the full story, but today we will focus on just the first few verses. As you read, take note of how Daniel prepared himself to hear from God, and also notice the important messages given to him when the information was revealed. The book of Daniel is packed full of wonderful accounts of God’s power manifest in Daniel’s life – the fiery furnace, the lion’s den, the handwriting on the wall. There’s plenty there to study and learn. This time I want to focus on a lesser known account in chapter 10, which gives us a glimpse into the spiritual realm. The first thing I noticed is how committed Daniel is to his prayer. In verses 2 and 3 we read about his sacrificial approach and focus on seeking God.   He describes himself as “mourning.” The definition of the original word here indicates lamenting, or walking with head downcast.  When we find ourselves in this condition, we need to follow Daniel’s example and go directly to seeking God. And his isn’t a quick pr
Read more

Meager Bread and Water

-
Image
  Read Isaiah 30:20-22 What truth is contained in these verses!! When we seek the Lord during hard times, things will become clearer and powerful things happen. Let's look at the three basic lessons that have become clear to me as I've studied this passage. First, God provides what we need – “meager bread and water.” Although we may be learning to do without some things, we still have a God who will meet our needs and help us become aware of our greediness for more than that. He has promised that when we first seek Him, He will provide for the daily stuff we tend to worry about (Matthew 6:33). Second, our Teacher will not be hidden and He will not be silent. Adversity helps us to grow and to learn about what God wants from us. As we stumble through the chaos, we will begin to see God in the midst of it, and God’s voice will become clearer.   He will lead us in His ways. Finally, when we are struggling, our lives get sifted. As the shaking continues, we begin to recogniz
Read more

Waiting Stinks

-
Image
Read John 11:1-4 (We'll go farther in the story next time) Jesus’ friend Lazarus was sick. Very sick. His sisters sent for Jesus, the compassionate miracle-worker. When Jesus didn’t come right away, Martha and Mary suffered. They expected Jesus, the Healer who loved them, to come and save Lazarus. When Lazarus died instead, they were left with their own thoughts and questions. I can imagine that they wavered in their faith, sometimes thinking, “Jesus has so many people to help, of course He couldn’t just come when we asked,” and sometimes “But He’s our friend. Aren’t we important enough to Him that He would come and help?” They maybe even wondered why Jesus didn’t say the word from afar and save Lazarus’ life. He’d done it for others. Why not for them?
Read more