He's An On-Time God
“He’s an on time God” is one of my favorite songs our Choir sings. It is a constant reminder that God works on His “clock,” not ours. Is it frustrating to believe this? To trust in this? You better believe it! As Believers, we always hear preached from the pulpit, “Wait on God! All we have to do is wait on Him.” Is this really the case? If so, they how should we wait?
My daughter Emory loves to play softball. She’s at the age now where pitchers are more seasoned and talented. They can make their ball “rise,” “fall,” “drop,” “go in,” “go out.” Quite honestly, it’s scary to think how good these pitchers are. As her dad (and once high school baseball player) I’ve worked with her to identify spins (the rate, the angle) and then compute suddenly, which way the ball will move. Will it drop? Will it rise? Will it move from side to side? What is the speed? The human brain is simultaneously processing each one of these factors. The batter has less than a second to identify all of these factors and THEN decide whether or not to swing! Swing early? Strike one. Swing late? Strike two. Swing under or over? You guessed it…strike three!
One of the best pitches is the “Change up.” It’s a pitch thrown with the same arm speed and the same spin; yet it is 5-7 miles per hour slower. That may not seem like much difference, but when you have less than a second to identify the pitch, it is the difference from a line drive and a strike out. To be an effective hitter you must always strive to be “on time.”
In the same way, God is an “on-time" God. He's never early, never late — always working on our behalf. But what if God’s not working when we think He should? Is He not God? Does He not control every facet of life? I want to ensure you God remains ready and able to work on your behalf. Actually, He’s already working for you, providing the means to read this blog, to hopefully offer peace and assurance. When we are called to wait on His time, how should we wait?
1. Wait patiently - 2 Peter 3:8 reveals, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Time is not a problem for God, because God stands outside of time. Now, that’s a tough one to understand. Sometimes, God works within our man-made timetable, but often, He works on another clock — His clock. We must patiently wait on Him.
2. Wait quietly - Proverbs 16:9 reminds, “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” If there is “a season for every action,” (Ecclesiastes. 3:1) then we must discipline ourselves to wait on the Lord. I’ll admit this is the hardest times for me. Lamentations 3:25-26 reads, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Seek God’s face. Spend time alone with God.
3. Wait purposefully - We all have read Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all our heart.” We’ve heard it preached, taught, and read. Some of us probably have had this verse memorized as a child, and it’s so true. Wait on the Lord and ask Him to show you the purposeful advantages of this passing time. I can’t guarantee you He’ll reveal this to you always, but often (in His time), He will.
4. Wait humbly - 1 Peter 5:6 instructs, “Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” Possibly this waiting period is to cause you to exhale to think, “Maybe I’m asking amiss. Or maybe I’m asking with the wrong motives.” Ask God to rip (okay, so that’s a violent word), or rather to take any erroneous motives from you, so you can humbly walk with your God.
God’s an on time God. The song is true. The Scriptures are true. The fallacy is within us. Let us realize our weakness, then throw ourselves at the feet of our strong God. Let us all be truthful as we sing, “He’s an On- Time God!”