Have you ever told God something that you wanted by a certain timeframe in life? Have you ever thought you put limits on God by telling him something instead of going before Him and asking for it? There is a difference between asking for something and telling someone something.
When we are telling something we are informing that whatever we want is going to happen and take place at a certain time. Whereas, in asking for something we are inquiring and requesting for God to hear our plea and respond instead of demanding for things to happen.
The difference is in asking we are putting our trust in God with the outcome instead of trying to control the outcome by manipulating to make things happen.
Honestly, I have told God in the past certain things and wanted to be done with the singleness part of life back when twenty-five rolled around. Okay, I probably told Him at twenty-three too. That I wanted to move onto the next phase of life of having a family, being married, having kids.
Also, the more I told God things the more I got frustrated like I was not being heard or seen like God was ignoring me. Yet, God was listening like He always is listening. But He was not fulfilling this, because it was not time.
Yet, God knew that I was not ready just and needed more time to grow in faith before the next step comes. Back when twenty-five rolled around the corner. Now that thirty has arrived I have learned to trust God's timing is never late but He is always on time.
What I have also learned is we can tell God all kinds of things, but when we go before Him with humility and ask to petition for Him to intercede, to go before us we gain a closer relationship with God. We gain trust with God that no one can break.
Moreover, I have learned asking God is far more rewarding than telling him something. And I find it funny or kind of hilarious at times how we think in our finite minds how we could ever tell God something He does not know or understand. When God's ways are so much higher than our ways.
Just because He is the almighty God who created all things and knows all things. I just wonder if He ever laughs at us when we try to do this?
Since we try to take matters into our own hands to make things happen we end up hurting ourselves by our lack of trust in God and His timing. Thus, we end up putting limitations on God by labeling that he can only do things a certain way with certain people at a certain timeframe.
Although, God is not limited by our labels or expectations. Additionally, we cannot define God by our limited expectations and worst experiences, even the experiences where we do not get what we tell God to do. Because the labels and limitations we put on God only put restrictions on what we think He can do. Which is not based on truth.
Here's the thing, God does not work on our timetable but His alone. So we have to submit to God's authority and trust His timing. It is exactly like in John 11 when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus awakened Lazarus from a four-day sleep in the tomb to bringing him back to life. This is just not only miraculous but also riveting. See Lazarus's sisters Mary and Martha thought Jesus was late and not on time.
However, Jesus was not late and raised Him to life four days later to reveal the glory of God. For instance, Mary and Martha had a lack of trust in Jesus and His timing, because they both tell Him He was late and if He would have come sooner Lazarus would not be dead.
Yet, if Lazarus did not die then Jesus would not have been able to reveal the glory of His Father God. And there would be no powerful miracle for those to believe in the power of Christ.
Thus, Jesus is never late to the party. But always on time even when we think it is past the time or due date for things to happen for us.
The point is in trusting God's timing we learn with Jesus it is never too late and always on time.
In case you need to hear this. It is not too late for you and your time is not done yet. God is on time and the line is moving for things to come to pass. Believe and trust in the Lord's timing, not the timing of the world or this culture.
It is not too late for God to move within your life. God is not late to your party or your life. God is moving behind the scenes of what we cannot comprehend or understand by going before us and preparing the way.
Don't worry God did not cancel your miracle nor did He forget about you. You are precious in God's sight and He sees all things!
Furthermore, I am learning thirty is better than twenty-five and more fun too. Because at thirty you learn after living three decades you have more confidence and you learn to have confidence in Jesus that gives you boldness to not accept anything except the truth of God which is absolute.
Another reason thirty is better than twenty-five you gain a better understanding of truth and learning to read between the lines. Because you know the truth. And the difference between truth and what is cow-pie lies.
Besides that, by the time thirty rolls around you see many opportunities of God's faithfulness and protection that it cannot be ignored but praised in how good He is. The goodness of God cannot be contained but celebrated.
Plus the reason thirty is better than twenty-five is you learn that spending time with Jesus is what fills our souls to even the deepest and darkest places no one else has ever seen before. God goes even to those places that no one else looks for even thinks about. Because God looks within the heart to see our heart's intentions.
Thirty is teaching me moments with Jesus is sweeter than chocolate which is saying a lot for me. And moments with Jesus are more savory than a deep rich cup of coffee.
This is saying a lot for me because I live on coffee!
These are things I am reflecting on this week!
God is faithful
Thirty is nothing to be afraid of
Humbly going before God and asking is more rewarding than telling
God is not late
God goes before us to prepare the way, and prepares us!
References:
English Standard Version Study Bible (2008) Crossway Publishing, Wheaton ILL,
Picture by: wix.com
Comments