TIMING IS EVERYTHING
On December 21, 2007, a Christmas card arrived at a home in northwest Kansas. Here’s what’s strange. The card was mailed on December 23, 1914! For ninety-three years, it sat unnoticed, wedged behind a counter in the post office. Imagine the shock on the addressee’s face. As the saying goes, “Timing is everything.”
That’s also true with the Lord. Even before creating the universe, God developed a plan to save us (Ephesians 1:4). In the Old Testament, we see his purpose unfolding. Then at the precise moment in history, when conditions were perfect, God’s “Christmas card” arrived on our planet in the form of a baby. Galatians 4:4 reads, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman.” God’s timing is always perfect.
Looking at history, it’s fascinating to see God working behind the scenes, manipulating human actions to carry out his plan. Everything converged at that one precise moment when Jesus was born. For example, around 300 BC, Greece conquered the world, and spread Greek language and culture. For six hundred years, mankind spoke one universal language (Koine Greek), enabling the gospel to be spread worldwide. When Rome conquered Greece, they created a network of roads, making travel possible, as well as introducing Pax Romana, a form of universal peace.
At this time also, a general sense of expectancy filled the air, anticipating the coming of a great king. Historians such as Tacitus, Suetonius, and Josephus all spoke of a common belief that a king from Judea would arise, ruling over the entire earth. The visit of the Magi attests to this premonition.
For centuries the Jews had awaited the coming Messiah. In the midst of oppression, each generation cried out to God for deliverance. Finally he came—in the fullness of time, when every condition was perfect.
Here’s why that’s important. Right now, each of us struggles with stressful situations—whether personal anxierty or concern over our world. We cry out to God, waiting for him to do something—anything—to deliver us.
Trust God’s perfect timing, even when it doesn’t make sense. He will act in “the fullness of time,” just as he did when the Messiah was born. God hasn’t forgotten us, although at times we feel he has. Wait on the Lord. He will move, in the fullness of time… because timing is everything.
Principle: God’s timing is always perfect.
Ponder:
What struggles are you currently facing that you are crying out to God to resolve?
How does it give you comfort to look at history and see how God precisely worked events for Jesus to come in the “fullness of time”?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Luke 2:1-20.
Prayer: “Almighty God, thank you for your perfect timing throughout the generations. Help me trust your perfect timing with the struggles in my life.”