But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
Galatians 4:4-5
God never does anything randomly. He doesn’t decide on a whim to take action. He has a plan, a perfect plan for everyone. And that plan has been laid out for all of eternity.
So often, though, we look at the way we make decisions and we try to put God in the same box. We assume that because we have knee jerk reactions to situations and circumstances, surely God does the same thing. But he doesn’t.
Did you notice the first few words of today’s passage? “When the time had fully come.” God had a plan to bring Jesus Christ to earth at a certain time. Jesus Christ came into the world at the perfect time, with everything arranged for the swift spread of the good news of God’s salvation that is available to everyone—including you.
God’s timing can be hard to understand. But it is perfect. If you are waiting on something from God, don’t get discouraged. Instead, look at the perfect timing of his son’s arrival, and trust that God has a perfect time for working in your life as well.
Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. James 5:10-11
If we’re honest with ourselves, we have to admit that we are not patient people. So when God tells us to wait in response to our prayers, we have a hard time. Wait, in our vocabulary, carries with it a negative connotation. “Wait” means we actually have to be patient. And so often our patience runs short and is followed quickly by discouragement.
When that happens we need to remember that God has given us example after example in the Bible of those who had to wait on the fulfillment of God’s promises.
Maybe you’re waiting for an answer from God right now, and you’re beginning to get discouraged. If so, think about this: Not one person mentioned in the Old Testament ever got to see Jesus Christ. They never saw the fulfillment of God’s ultimate promise.
Yet, they waited patiently and hoped eagerly. They were excited about spreading God’s message and they looked forward to the day he would answer their prayers.
Don’t give up hope while waiting on God. He will fulfill his promises to you; just have the patience to wait.
God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:40
Hebrews 11 is a book that captures the stories of many people who never got to witness the fulfillment of God’s promise of the coming Savior, Jesus Christ. They lived their entire lives waiting. And though they faced persecution, they held fast to God’s promise. They believed God and served him faithfully, even in the face of pain.
We may look at that reality and ask questions like, “Why would God allow those people to suffer? Why did he make them wait? Why not just answer their prayers and fulfill his promises immediately?”
The answer goes back to one simple, yet profound fact: God sees the whole picture.
None of us has the perspective on life that God has. He knew that while, yes, those people had to suffer for a season, there was a greater purpose behind it than they may have seen—his purpose.
Maybe you are facing a difficult time in your life. Or maybe you’re just waiting to hear what God has in store for you. You read God’s promises to you, but you wonder when those will be fulfilled. Don’t grow impatient with God. Know that he has “something better for us.” And remember, just because we may not see it doesn’t mean that something better isn’t there. It is! And God sees it before we do! Will you trust him?
