Friday, April 23, 2010

Timing Is Important

Lesson Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Verse 1 states"There is a time for everything, and a season for every purpose under heaven."

My commentary says that timing is important. Why is timing important? The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept, and appreciate God's perfect timing. The danger is to doubt or resent God's timing.

We want what we want when we want it. We don't want to wait on anyone, we don't wait on God. We don't like to pray and seek God's advice. We just want to do it our way, on our timing.

There is a problem with this because it can lead to despair, we can become despondent. It can lead to rebellion and rebellion causes us a problem with God; it shows we don't trust God. We move without seeking God's advice first. Bad decision, bad choices.

One of the hardest things I have had to learn is patience. I am still learning it and I guess God is wondering what is wrong with that woman! Doesn't she get it? I am in charge! I have struggled with patience the majority of my life but I continue to pray and ask God for help in this area. In His time, He will help me overcome this problem with patience.

In the book of James 5:16b, it says that the"earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." Persistent, righteous, power, wonderful results. Key words to which we must pay attention. We must keep asking; we must come to God with clean hearts, we receive power when we come this way and when we do, we get wonderful results.

King Solomon in writing the book of Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything. You must read Chapter 3:1-8, it is rather long and I won't recite all the verses here, but I do encourage you to read them, as it will put everything in perspective.

I am reminded by reading these verses that "every day regardless of the weather or circumstances of our life is a gift from God to be used for His glory." So when we glorify God in our living, we learn to wait on His timing, His guidance, and His direction.

Author Ron Ash puts it like this: "We are where we need to be and learning what we need to learn. Stay the course because the things we experience today will lead us to where God needs us to be tomorrow." So don't begin your day as usual. Begin your day with prayer so God can guide and direct you to where He needs you the most.

Scripture says, "The Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path." (Psalm 119:105) This would not be in the Bible if God wanted us to guide ourselves.

In every season, there is a reason to rejoice and an opportunity to do good. Challenge yourselves to rejoice and do good and then to do them both.

The Christian's most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we think. Some people use prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. This approach is backward. Prayer should come first because God's power is infinitely greater than ours and especially so because God encourages us to pray.

Thought for Today: Keep praying, God's listening. His timing is always perfect.

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