We live in a world with a microwave mentality. We don’t want it now. We wanted it 5 minutes ago! That just seems to be American culture. Fast paced, never take a break and work until you drop. This is our way and somehow we’ve all become accustomed to it. We are literally one click away from having anything we want delivered to our homes. We can even pay extra and have it express shipped. Well, that may be the American way but it’s certainly not God’s way. We can’t smooth talk Him into doing things in our realm of timing and we don’t have enough to pay extra! He’s not concerned about us getting what we want when we want it. He’s concerned about developing our character in His timing. And my friends – He’s got all the time in the world! He created time. 

So, this creates a bit of a dilemma for the “right now” folks. The Bible says “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” (Romans 5:6 NLT) Notice the words “at just the right time”? Yes, this is God’s timing. He’s an all involved God watching the earth constantly. He knew the exact timing of His plan for Jesus to be revealed. It’s really not “our plans” at all. This is His world. These are His plans for us. 

Another noteworthy feature to God’s delivery system is that His delivery is two-fold. He doesn’t only get things to us, He delivers us from things that are harming us. This is the whole “developing our character” thing. There are certain patterns, addictions, harmful relationships etc. that He knows are not good for us. A lot of the time we’re so tangled up in these situations that we can’t see a way out. Fortunately, our God has all authority over everything in this world. He can make a way where there is no way!  Just when it seems like you’re sinking, the book of Deuteronomy says “The eternal God is your refuge, and His everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; He cries out ‘Destroy them.’”  This is great news!  He’s always on time for His children. 

What if it’s a situation that you’ve been praying about for years? You’re waiting for a breakthrough and it just doesn’t seem to be coming. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 literally says “never stop praying.”  Well, you might say, Is God ignoring me? Of course not! He hears the prayers of His children every time. But His timing, not ours, is perfect. “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NLT) The Word of God is so clearly detailed for us in this passage. We’ve decided what we need to happen and we just want God to do it. That’s all. Just like a genie in a bottle. Not so with Almighty God. He says He has the power to override our plans and He’s directing the flow of things. His timing. So we can either choose to be frustrated or we can choose to trust The One that never fails. 

Time is a hard concept and it’s something that we have absolutely no control over. I think the one thing that makes it easier is knowing without a shadow of a doubt that according to 1 Peter chapter 3, God hears us when we pray. It’s up to Him to do what needs to be done. He will always do what’s right because He knows the beginning from the end. We just wait expectantly for His special delivery. 

Today’s writer is Brandi Crowe. A hairdresser for over 25 years, she is currently the owner of Brandi Crowe salon in Buford, GA. She loves hiking, a good cup of coffee and spending time with family and friends. Brandi lives in a custom farmhouse with her husband, Robby and cat, Harold.