In His Own Time

“And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father

has put in His own authority.” - Acts 1:7 (NKJV)

A few weeks ago, my car’s ‘CHECK EMISSIONS’ light came on. Initially, I assumed it was because I had not tightened the gas cap a couple of days prior after filling up at the service station. Normally, it only takes a day or so for the warning light to turn off. Since it was taking much longer, I was getting a little anxious so I stopped by the dealership to verify that I would be okay to continue driving my car. I even called my father for advice. They assured me that it would be find to continue driving the car and eventually the light would go off.

As I do with everything, I prayed to God that nothing more serious was on the horizon. I repeatedly quoted Philippians 4: 6-7 to move my focus to God instead of the crisis. Every time I got into my car; I expected the warning light to be off, but each time I started off to work, it was still on. After the fourth day, I made a second stop at the dealership to confirm what I had already been told. This time the technician scheduled an appointment to diagnose the issue. The only available day was the following Thursday which would have made it more than a week. He assured me that it would be ok and that if the light went off before my appointment, I should just call and cancel it.

I was relieved on the morning of the appointment because I had made it without further incident. I got in my car and backed out of my garage, as I looked to the front to make sure that the garage was closing, I noticed it. The light was off! I couldn’t believe it. As I pulled out of my driveway and headed to the dealership, I remembered what the technician had said so I called and canceled the appointment.

As I drove to work, I kept thinking about the whole ordeal. I was so anxious about the possibility of damage to my car. I wanted it to be corrected right away. I kept praying and praying that it would be okay. Well, it was just that. It was all okay. It just didn’t happen when or how I thought it would.

It dawned on me that a crisis in my life does not constitute an emergency on God’s part. He knows all things. He knows everything that we are experiencing, but it does not move Him to rush to fix our situation. Even during my “crisis”, He had kept me. I did not miss a day of work, nor did I have to catch a ride from someone. He was taking care of me just as I was praying. I was looking for Him to get me to the end of the tunnel. I had not considered that He was trying to get me through the tunnel.

Adversity and strife, pain and anguish, trauma and turmoil, will all cause us to be stretched beyond what we think is our capacity, but this stretching is vital to our growth in the Lord. It is not His desire for us to linger in misery; however, he desires that we grow spiritually by waiting patiently in faith and trusting Him to answer our cries in His perfect timing. Although we seem to be waiting for His help, He is helping while we are waiting. He is buffering and insolating us from the damage that could be inflicted while giving us time to see that He can be trusted to shelter us in the storm and bring us out safely on the other side. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (NKJV) We can always trust Him to deliver us when we find ourselves in distress.

As I continued to work, I found myself “trusting” that my car was not going to let me down. I was going to be fine because it was working properly now. Then the Holy Spirit arrested that thought immediately and reminded me that my car cannot be trusted to be consistent, but God can be. To prove that point, now the DRL Warning light is on. So, I will be heading back to the dealership as soon as I can make another appointment.

Please do not think that I am minimizing God’s power and authority to a simple car repair. He is the Sovereign I AM and the Creator of the Universe. Yet, God cares about everything that we care about. I remember waiting for my heart to heal after my husband passed, I have family members who are waiting for their physical healing, I have friends and family members who are waiting for that special dream, and I have dreams of my own that I am waiting to come to fruition. It says in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season, we shall reap if we do not lose heart”. (NKJV) We just need to actively wait for Him to move on our behalf. Actively wait means that we keep moving and following His commands, we keep living righteous and holy lives, and we keep giving Him all the Glory and Honor that He is due.

We have expectations for when and how we receive our relief and our blessings, but usually, that timing or result is inconsistent with God’s plan. There are lessons that He wants to teach us in the waiting. James 1: 3-4 “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (NKJV) There were days during this test (and so many others) that I would have failed had I not heard His Spirit beckoning me to trust that things would work out and encouraging me to trust God no matter the outcome. Even if He did not give me the answer I desired and there was a costly car repair in store, God is still GOOD and He is my provider. My car may let me down, but God never will.

The Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing ALL our prayers and answering us with Your wisdom. Thank you for helping us to understand that You know exactly what we need and when we need it. Please help us understand that our prayers are never unanswered. You always answer us, but sometimes we are not willing to receive how You have responded. Help us to come to the realization that You know what is best for us. Help us to understand that You will answer in Your timing in our best interests. Father, thank you for your strength and peace while we wait.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Worship in Song