God’s Perfect Timing

Waiting is one of the hardest yet most common trials of life. What can Nehemiah teach us today about not rushing ahead of God?

THIS WEEK’S BOLD STEP DEVOTION

“Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’” (Nehemiah 2:17).

God’s timing can be one of the largest hurdles we face over the course of our lives. I find it interesting that the phrase “the right time” occurs 96 times in the Bible. It’s safe to say that God must have a right time for everything! This is often hard to reconcile when you’re dealing with a chronic illness, a dead-end job, a tough marriage, or a prodigal child. It can be a daily battle of patience and surrender which, in our world of instant gratification, feels unnatural. How do we wait well without worrying that we missed God’s timing?

If you’re familiar with the story of Nehemiah in the Bible, you’ll remember that he hears the jarring news that the city of Jerusalem’s walls have been broken down and its gates burned with fire. He knows he’s the man for the job to return to his homeland and rebuild the city, but instead of moving ahead, he waits patiently on the Lord for direction, trusting that He will show him what his next steps should be. We see that Nehemiah, although heavily grieved, waits four long months trusting and counting on God to move the heart of his superior, and in the end he is granted favor to return.

When we find ourselves in a similar season of waiting, there are some lessons we can glean from the life of Nehemiah:

1. While he waited, Nehemiah prayed. Nehemiah models an important principle that before we move forward on big (or small) decisions, we should spend time in prayer seeking God for wisdom and direction.
2. While he waited, Nehemiah planned. God didn’t provide Nehemiah a blueprint on how to rebuild the wall nor does He often give us exact step-by-step plans. But by the time Nehemiah got the green light to return to Jerusalem, he had a plan ready for what was needed to get the wall rebuilt. It’s up to us to use our time wisely by preparing our hearts and minds for action while not rushing ahead of God to make things happen in our own time and way.
3. While he waited, Nehemiah fasted. Not only did Nehemiah cry out to God, but he fasted. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that involves choosing to eliminate food intake for a specific purpose and time. Combined with prayer, fasting can focus your thoughts on God.

Remember, God’s timing is perfect: never early, never late.

Listen to the sermon: The Hand of God

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Ministry Update from Mark

Recently, Dee and I drove by a former house of worship in Michigan that was converted into a brewery. Playing off their church history, their advertisement said: “Drink. Eat. Repent. Repeat.”

This is exactly why New Life Community Church has helped restart seventeen historic churches in the Chicagoland area. With the slow decline of Sunday worship attendance, Christian churches are being torn down and converted into strip malls, breweries, or even Islamic mosques.

The church is not a building, but my prayer is to see more “sacred spaces” rescued and used for their original purpose. Pray with me toward this end.