Suddenly….

Last week Lesley shared on waiting. Have you experienced times when you have been praying for someone or something, but there doesn’t seem to be an answer; nothing is happening? When you need God, where is he? Why does He take so long?

We live in an instant world and often find it hard to wait. But Lesley pointed out some of the benefits of waiting and how God uses that time to work on our character and draw us closer to Him. As she indicated, the answer to all that waiting is simply; it must be in God’s perfect timing, not ours. God is always working behind the scenes developing our character and putting good into place for the right circumstances to change at exactly the right time. Thousands of years ago sin entered the world and Satan spewed out his evil works on the earth. And when he thought he had Jesus beat by sending Him to the cross, suddenly His resurrection three days later defeated sin and death for all eternity. When Jesus came to earth, we read, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6) and, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son” (Gal 4:4). Our perspective of time is quite different to God’s. If we think that God is sometimes slow to act, or wavers on His promises, we are wrong. When the time is right, he moves and moves quickly. “…With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.” (2 Peter 3:8-9) In the NIV, the word “Suddenly” is written 57 times, “Immediately” 55 times and “in an instant” 10 times. Consider King David. As a teenager he was out in the fields looking after his father’s sheep when suddenly he was called back home to be anointed by the prophet Samuel as the next king of Israel (1 Sam 16:1-13). Or Balaam, who was peacefully riding his donkey then suddenly confronted by an angel with a sword in his hand ready to kill him. (Num 22:21-35) Or Paul, who on his way to gather and persecute the Christians in Damascus was suddenly converted to a believer in Jesus Christ. (Acts9:3) Here are just a few more “suddenlies” in the Bible: Num 16:42 – But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. 2 Kings 2:11 – As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Is 29:5b-6a – …suddenly, in an instant, the Lord Almighty will come…” Acts 2:2 – Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Acts 10:30 – Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me. Acts 16:25-26 – About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. Miracles are acts of God moving suddenly; whether it be a physical, emotional, addiction, spiritual, any other form of healing, or change in circumstances. Isiah 48:3 says; “I foretold the former things long ago…I made them know; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. And Isiah 60:22; “I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly”. King Solomon says, “No man knows when his hour will come” (Ecc 9:12). And Jesus tells us we must always be prepared for that hour (Mat 24:44, Lk 12:40). When you thing nothing is happening despite all your prayers and intersession, be patient, God is working everything for His good and righteous plan; and in the fullness of time, he will act. Then watch and be amassed at what He is doing…oh…and try to keep up!

Blessings. Mark