Never a Moment Late: Trusting God’s Timing

Patience on hold

Have you ever tried to call a major airline or phone carrier and been put “on hold” for what seems like forever?

Waiting . . . waiting . . . waiting . . .

What’s worse is that you have no control in how long the waiting will take.

It’s frustrating, right?

“Waiting” is something we’re not really used to anymore.

In our now fast-paced world, new technologies often enable instant gratification.

However, that expectation is not realistic where faith is concerned.

You’ve heard it before: “God’s timing is not our timing”.

It’s a difficult lesson to live by, but we have to let God work out His will for our lives, no matter how long it takes.

In Psalm 27:14, David serves this blessed reminder as he experienced his own period of waiting on God . . .

Never a moment late

The Lord’s timing is perfect and He’s never a moment late.

Don’t give up!

Keep praying and trusting – God never fails.

Those times when you feel like quitting can be times of great opportunity, for God uses your troubles to help you grow. – Warren Wiersbe, Moody Bible Church.¹

God’s timing always works for the greater good.

Never a Moment Late: God’s Perfect Timing

Are you going through a tough period of waiting?

Bring everything to the Lord in prayer.

It’s important to realize that He will strengthen you if you just ask.

With that in mind, the following poem is a recent discovery.

I hope it encourages you like it does me.

Do You Trust Me?

Do you trust me
When things aren’t going right, 
When life deals some painful blows, 
When finances are awfully tight?

Do you trust me 
When tragedy comes your way, 
When you don’t get all the answers 
When you bend
your knee to pray?

Do you trust me 
When friends don’t understand, 
When there’s no one you can talk to, 
No one to hold your hand?

Do you trust me 
When there’s warring in your soul, 
When there’s darkness all around you 
And you’re left out in the cold?

Do you trust me 
When evil is against you, 
When there’s nowhere left to run 
And you can’t find the truth?

Do you trust me?
I need to ask you this,
‘Cause you don’t always know 
I’m there in the midst

Of all your tribulations, 
Everything that you go through, 
I am always there, my child, 
And I will never leave you

So I must ask of you 
To see if you believe, 
No matter what you face in life, 
You must always trust in me.
© By M.S.Lowndes.²

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¹Quotation by Warren Wiersbe, (1929-2019), courtesy of Christian quotes.info.

What is Your ETA?

Has anyone ever asked you that question?

Hopefully, it wasn’t a cellphone call from your boss because you’re late coming back from lunch. 😉

Many years ago, when I was a news reporter, we used to answer the ETA question a lot.

disturbing news headlines

For example, after covering a news story, my cameraman and I would radio the TV station to tell them we were finished and on our way back.

Something like this:

Me: Hey. We’re done. Headed back to Base.

Assignment Director: What’s your ETA?

Me: About 30 minutes.

Journalism is a very time-driven profession.

I think we’re all that way to a degree. We like to know when we can expect this or that to happen, especially if we’ve been waiting a long time. But it doesn’t always happen that way, does it?

Jesus, What Is Your ETA?

With the direction things are going in this mixed-up world, it’s no wonder the heightened yearning for our Savior’s return.

I read some of the disturbing news headlines, and silently pray the Lord comes back sooner rather than later.

But always in accordance with the timing of His will.

mixed-up world

Disturbing such as:

Did you ever think you’d see radicalized sex education being taught to grade school students?
Did you ever think you’d see a giant Ouija board erected in Massachusetts?

Very, very sad.

Depending on the headline, I cringe, or I cry, and sometimes I grieve, especially if it’s a story affecting the future of our children.

Please, make it stop.

Come Lord Jesus!

The fact is, just as in Biblical history past, we don’t know when Jesus will return.

God decided in His infinite wisdom that we don’t need to know the timing. The exact future day and time will remain a mystery, until it’s here.

Good News for Repentant Sinners

When the headlines get you down, remember Who is always in control.

I take comfort in the reminder that God will save every last sinner who repents and turns to follow Jesus.

But that takes time. This is a big world and God is moving in ways that we don’t see. Jesus what is your ETA?

God’s timing is always perfect, even though it can feel like forever to us.

Doesn’t God care about how bad things are getting?

He cares more than we could ever understand.

In the meantime, we must continue to persevere and shine the light of His glory as He exercises His Sovereign power over all of humanity.

. . . the real reason for the Lord’s delay is not that He is negligent or careless in fulfilling His promises, but simply because He is long-suffering and kind, delaying Christ’s coming and the wrath that will accompany it while He calls out people to salvation.

And Christ will not return before the merciful purposes of God are complete.

Far from suggesting apathy or neglect on God’s part, the long delay before Christ’s appearing simply underscores the remarkable depth of His nearly inexhaustible mercy and long-suffering.¹ – John MacArthur, Pastor and Bible Teacher, Grace To You.

Praise God for His inexhaustible mercy, or none of us would be saved!

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John MacArthur quotation, courtesy of GTY.org/library/articles. 23 July, 2009. para. 30. Web. Accessed 4 November, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A368/is-christs-return-imminent.

Our Exceptional God

Look Up At The Stars

July 17, 2019 Gracie

When I Look Up At The Stars

Look up at the stars

How many stars are there?

Billions?

Trillions, even?

There are estimates online, but no matter what, the fact is that God created each and every one.

How amazing is that?

Each and every one.

Just like He created you and me.

I can’t look up at the beautiful night sky without thinking of our Heavenly Father.

How astonishing is it that in this vast universe, blanketed by stars and galaxies too numerous to count, God’s design included a “you” and a “me”?

I hope we can always remember how much He loves us when we come to Him in prayer.

God’s Timing

We may not always understand God’s timing, or why He answers “No” sometimes.

But, we are His children, and He does hear us. He never would have sent us His Son if He didn’t love us.

Please don’t give up on God.

Pray big prayers.

Remember His past blessings in your life and don’t forget to always thank Him.

Another blessing may be just around the corner.

Charles Spurgeon quotation

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*Quotation from Charles Spurgeon, influential Christian preacher and author, (1834-1892). Taken from A Closer Look, “Encouragements To Prayer.” Accessed July 12, 2019. Page 49 of Prayer Focus.

Our Exceptional God

The End Of The World

February 6, 2018 Gracie

End Of The World

Have you ever thought about the end of the world?

As Bible-believing Christians, we know what’s eventually coming.

Increased persecution, chaos, and a one world demonic cult ruling earth’s inhabitants in the guise of world peace – to name just a few of the realities.

For some people, the final events are too scary to even consider.

If that describes you, trust me, I get it.

End Of Days

the end times

When I first became a Christian, I purposely avoided reading the Book of Revelation.

I tried to read through it on my own and got lost.

What did all that symbolism mean?

I was so overwhelmed that I gave up and spent my time in other books of the Bible for many years.

Frankly, I had no idea at the time what I was missing.

Of course, we’re not supposed to “dwell” on the end time events, but we do need to be aware of them.

Fast forward to a few years ago, when an opportunity arose that I couldn’t pass up.

The Book Of Revelation

Like an answer to a prayer, my church offered a Revelation Bible study, also known as Eschatology.

Simply put, Eschatology is a long word meaning the study of the end times.

I jumped at the chance to learn more.

It was a 3-part course which, in totality, would last several months.

I’m so glad I took the course. Let me encourage you to not be afraid to jump into Revelation if an Eschatology study is offered at your church.

It is so worth it!

After completing the course, the symbolism that scared me off so long ago, finally made a lot more sense.

If you’re interested in a quick overview of end time events, you can find a briefing here: https://www.gotquestions.org/end-times-timeline.html

However, I recommend a more in-depth Bible study rather than a flyby through one article on the Got Questions website 🙂

Through the entire Book of Revelation, we have a blessed reminder that God is Sovereign, and Jesus is coming back.

Our Righteous Judge

Sadly, what some people fail to accept is that Jesus will return as our righteous judge.

My heart breaks for those who, for the remainder of their lives, refuse to put their personal faith and trust in Him.

I have nothing but great pity for those people.

If Jesus’ return happens within our lifetime, that means that all remaining unbelievers, including those we personally know, are headed for everlasting suffering – an eternity of torment, no saving grace offered, beyond any complete human description.

Jesus’ words are clear, as presented here in Mark 8, among other passages.

³⁸For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:38, (ESV).

want to pray for someone

Every night, my husband and I pray by name for someone we know who is lost. We pray specifically that his/her heart will open up to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The thought of a non-believing friend going to hell is tragic.

But, despite the limitations of my and your human understanding, we must trust our Sovereign God and know that He alone will judge righteously.

The End Of Days

Keep your eyes on the news.

I should clarify: keep your discerning eyes on the news and on Jerusalem. There’s a lot of significant events underway.

A word of caution: your red flags should go up if you hear of anyone setting an “exact date” the rapture will occur.

Date-setting is just doomsday, hysteria-promoting, nonsense.

Here’s What We Can Delight In

We can delight in knowing that everything is in God’s timing, not man’s.

We can delight in knowing that only the Creator orchestrates the future, and that prophetic events are falling into place according to what God has appointed.

The good news is that, for true-believers, Jesus has provided us the way to spend Eternity with Him.

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Our Exceptional God

Legends In Their Own Minds

September 18, 2017 Gracie

The Legends In Their Own Minds Are At It Again

I’m talking about the Hollywood celebrities who feel the need to bash our President at their multiple awards shows, on their “glorify me” twitter accounts, during talk show interviews, on their Facebook fan pages, and websites.

Legends in their minds

Seriously?

Reportedly, the Emmy Awards became yet another opportunity for some high-profile celebs to trash our President.

Did we expect anything less?

My husband and I didn’t watch the show. We knew what it was going to be like and happily watched something else.

Of course, not all celebs act this way, but the ones who are acting like brats sure can take over an awards show.

One of my favorite inventions ever?

The TV remote.

By the way, how many awards shows exist to honor celebrities? I’d try to guess, but the number seems to go higher every five minutes.

Wink, wink.

Feeling Powerful

The absurdity is ongoing.

In fact, one actress is very concerned that Mother Nature is ticked off that people in our country voted for President Trump.

Those devastating hurricanes that hit the southern United States recently, according to this actress, are Mother Nature’s revenge.

Again, seriously?

You can’t make this stuff up.

Many of the voters who voted for President Trump are Bible-believing Christians.

So apparently we Christians can, along with “Mother Nature”, help stir up the weather by voting for the candidate Hollywood doesn’t like.

Hmmmm. That’s good to know because I would like a nice weekend.

Controlling the weather

I will now attempt to control the temperatures for the rest of September to a pleasant 70 degrees. (smiling).

Good grief, people!!

I find it ironic that the celebs saying these things act so devastated by the election results and yet, don’t even give a second thought to the deadly embrace of their party line towards Planned Parenthood.

It’s a shame that Christians get shut down every time the abortion issue is raised. It’s happened to me.

I’ll remain pro-life, no matter what name I’m called.

Keep on keeping on. 🙂

Prayers Needed

Can we agree how lost these actors and actresses are, and in need of prayer for their very salvation?

If you’re not praying for the future of our country yet, now’s a good time to start.

We don’t know what the immediate future holds in store. Everything is in God’s timing.

In the meantime, we can be ready, pray, and we can arm ourselves with God’s Word.

And, our TV remote.

Keep our eyes on the prize, trust God, and delight ourselves in Him.

The following verses are from Psalm 37. Not cherry picking here. We can learn from David how we can respond when life seems upside down.

We can pray and submit to the Lord and rest in the assurance that when He comes back, He will judge righteously.

In other words, pray, don’t stress.

The battle is the Lord’s.

^*3Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
⁴Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

– Psalm 37:3-4, English Standard version (ESV).

God bless

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Our Exceptional God

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Tag: God’s timing