Embracing God’s Timing
By: Dr. Derek Carlsen
“…he who comes to God must believe that He is…” (Hebrews 11:6)—i.e., that He is God.
Faith, Hope and Love
The believer’s effectiveness for the Kingdom rests upon and flows out of faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Even though Paul says love is the greatest, all three are inseparably connected.
Scripture tells us that, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17). This means believing and trusting everything that God has revealed about Himself, about Jesus, about His children, about the past and the future—living “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4). We have hope because God is sovereignly controlling all things; the small things, i.e., even a little sparrow doesn’t fall to the ground apart from God’s will (Matthew 10:29), and the large things like ruling the nations and directing the hearts of kings (Daniel 4:34-35; Proverbs 21:1).
Love is a way of living and relating that embraces God’s reality by faith; a reality where no circumstance, situation or happening comes about apart from God’s eternal decree. Thus, whatever is transpiring, God is in control of all the details, and so believers are to rest in God’s plan and seek His wisdom for how they are to live in their context.
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7).
The Greatest is Love
Love is the greatest, because it is a manifestation of God’s Kingdom, but this living-love flows out of faith and hope. The Messiah is presently reigning in the midst of His enemies (Psalm 2; Psalm 110:1-2; Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 28:18)—people embrace this reality through faith and hope, which enables them to love.
Love Bears all Things
Other possible translations of this word “bears” are: to cover, support, keep out, to ward off, keep back, keep tight, to protect and to block access—love always protects. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5).
The Spirit’s fruit basket is powerful in this role of protecting (Galatians 5:22-23), and joy is one of the powerful weapons that protectors need to wield.
Joy
The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Joy is not dependent upon one’s outward circumstances, but upon the certainty of knowing that we are eternally loved in Christ and that the sovereign Lord of the universe is working all things in accordance with His eternal purposes.
The apostle Paul suffered much in his life however he said, “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.” (2 Corinthians 7:4). Why? Because nothing could alter his standing in the Kingdom, and nothing could hinder God’s eternal plan/decree. Paul’s joy was powerful then, and it continues to protect believers today as they embrace its reality, namely, remembering God’s past acts, confidently holding onto His promises, and trusting His sovereign workings/timing.
Believers protect each other by being joyful, thus Paul said, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).
Be Still
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10).
In order for the Psalmist to live in the reality of Psalm 46:10, he had to speak to his inner being, thus self-consciously stilling the storm that was raging inside of him. His mind and his emotions were not synchronized, and so he asked his emotions to account for their turbulence saying, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.” (Psalm 42:5). There was no justifiable reason for his soul to be down cast and disquieted.
The phrase “hope in God” is more exactly translated as “wait for God.” Moreover, God’s countenance is always unphased because He is in complete control; He knows who He is and that His plans cannot be hindered.
A little later the Psalmist repeats the exact same verse but changes the last line saying, “The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalm 42:11; 43:5). What he acknowledges here is that his own countenance is vital to his Kingdom effectiveness, and fundamental to having a good countenance is his trusting in God’s timing—if God is in control, then nothing is amiss—ever! Our countenance is shaped by our innermost convictions about God and His reality and thus, our countenance is powerful in the workings of God’s Kingdom to strengthen and protect others (Proverbs 27:17). A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance (Proverbs 15:13).
A Practiced Discipline
To bring our inner being into subjection to God’s truth often requires self-conscious effort, which might comprise closing one’s eyes, breathing slowly and deeply while focusing upon the reality of who God is: The Loving, Sovereign, Creator and Lord, who reigns over everyone and everything and from whose hand we cannot be plucked.
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4).
See the article: By Every Word