IN GOD’S TIME, FEW LEARN TO TELL TIME…
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1 Peter 5:6 (NLT2) So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
THERE IS ONE BIG QUESTION: DO I TRUST GOD… THEN 3 QUESTIONS OF CREDIBILITY: 1. CAN GOD DO THIS? 2. CAN GOD DO THIS FOR ME? 3. WHEN WILL GOD DO THIS FOR ME?
TIME? SEEMS I DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS PIECE OF THE PUZZLE? HOW EASY IS IT TO LOSE HEART WHEN IT APPEARS GOD IS MOVING SO SLOW?
The little boy walked home from Sunday School and the family were sitting around the old pot-bellied stove talking. The boy told his dad and Pa about the lesson. The boy was so excited. He told them he had gone to the altar and accepted Jesus as his personal Savior. The boy said he was going to live the rest of his life for Jesus. The old grandpa said: Grandson it is impossible to live a life for Jesus. It is just too hard. The boy lowered his head and sat in the corner. After a long silence the lad came back and said Pa, I am going to live for Jesus for a year? The old man said Boy that is impossible, you can’t do it. The boy went back in the corner. After weighing the situation the grandson said Pa, how about a month? No, you can’t do that either. The boy said well how about a week? NO! A day? NO! The boy sat a long time and he came back and asked: PA, CAN I LIVE FOR A MOMENT FOR JESUS. The grandfather said YES! Yes, I think you could for a moment! The boy jumped up and down in excitement. He then said: PA, I AM GOING TO LIVE FOR JESUS THE REST OF MY LIFE… MOMENT BY MOMENT!
WHAT IS TIME? (Hard word to define?)
MEASURES: SECONDS, MINUTES, HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS, YEARS, DECADES, CENTURIES,
2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2 Peter 3:8 (MSG) Don't overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day.
WE BELIEVE IN DIVINE TIMING… SEEMS EVERYTHING HAS A TIME…
Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
NOW? WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN ONE DAY? FROM A BEGGAR TO THE GRANDMOTHER OF A KING?
Ruth 2:2 (NLT2) One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.” Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.
ASK KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR: IN ONE DAY IT CAN GO FROM GOOD TO BAD… ATTITUDE…
Daniel 4:32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
SEVEN YEARS LATER… IN ONE DAY IT CAN GO FROM BAD TO GOOD…
DANIEL 4:34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for
ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
Psalm 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Psalm 27:13 (NLT2) Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. 14 Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.
God never gets in a hurry. God has perfect timing… God is not to early! God is not too late. ASK LAZARUS!
Psalm 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Psalm 37:7 (NLT2) Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
EVERY LIFE IS FILLED WITH GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES. THE QUESTION IS: DO I TRUST GOD? WE MUST TRUST IN GOD’S TIMING… NO MATTER WHAT YOU SEE OR FEEL… WOULD YOU RATHER BE BURDENED? TROUBLED? WORRIED? I JUST CAN’T SEE IT… STAY CALM … THIS TOO SHALL PASS…
THE LAST DAYS? TIME IS GOING TO END AS WE KNOW IT… WE SPEND OUR MONEY MORE WISELY THAN OUR TIME…GOD CAN RESTORE… THE YEARS OF DESTRUCTION…
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
The Shepherd’s Point Of View (By Sandy Blythe)
1. You are standing on the mountain holding to the Shepherd’s hand
The valley you just came through was hard to understand
The Shepherd draws you closer there’s something He wants you to see
And He points back to the valley and unfolds its mysteries.
2. As the eagles soar around you and you look back on where you’ve been
One by one He answers questions that He did not answer then
He now shows you the danger of going your own way
All those roads you thought were better would have led your soul astra
3. He reminds you of that moment when you could not make it through
Now you see one set of footprints where He reached down & carried you
As your tears fall on His shoulder and you thank Him for His love
He says, Child, I knew that one day you’d see this valley from above
Chorus. Things look different on the mountain from the Shepherd’s point of view
Standing high above the trial that He brought you safely through
All the valley’s disappointments will never look the same to you
Things look different on the mountain from the Shepherds point of view
CONCLUSION: SOMEONE NEEDS YOU! MANY ARE DISCOURAGED. Maybe you could be the one to comfort, strengthen and encourage. In God’s time he can put us in the right place to teach us to trust him. Do we trust in God’s time…
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
