Waiting for God is not particularly easy. A song I love has the line ‘It’s certain that waiting’s the most bitter lesson a believing heart has to learn’ (Michael Card, ‘Maranatha’) and I’ve certainly found that to be true!
Dave’s sermon this morning, looking at God’s sovereignty and purposes, also forced us to think again about God’s timing. The world waited for 4000 years for the Son of God to be revealed but then, as we are told in Galatians 4:4 TNIV, “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law.”
The children of Israel waited 400 years for release from Egypt but then, when the time was right, God sent Moses to face Pharaoh and his gods head on, and to win a victory that brought great glory to the name of the Lord throughout the world.
The cripple at the Beautiful Gate waited 40 years for Peter and John to heal him and he then went about glorifying and praising God.
The man born blind waited many years for Jesus to come and give him sight so that the Name of the Lord would be glorified.
Each one of us has a personal promise or promises from God.
If He said it, then it will come about – at His time and to bring glory to Him.
The Lord has promised great things to this church and some have waited for nearly 60 years, and some have even died before seeing the promises come about.
But God will fulfil His promises when the time is right.
While away on holiday on holiday recently, Dave and Joan went to a lively Baptist church in Aberdeen. A lady was talking to Joan and this lady said that she felt that God would fulfil His promises to Joan before she died, that Joan would see the fulfilment of God’s promises to her. Considering that some of these promises were made over 20 years ago, that is a great encouragement.
When will these promises be fulfilled? When the time is right.
When will the time be right? Only the Lord knows.
But of one thing we can be certain, it will the time when it brings the greatest glory to God.
Then, not only Joan, not only us here in this church, not only the Christians in the Dearne Valley, but every eye will see and every tongue acknowledge, every single one “then will know that I am the Lord your God.”