God not only orders our steps; He orders our stops."
George Muller
God is the author of each one of our grace stories. Every detail is completely intentional and purposeful. When all is said and done, and we have completed our journey on this earth, we will be able to understand every nuance in our lives with certainty and clarity. We will also be able to know, with assurance, that God's timing in each and every matter was flawless and orchestrated in complete perfection.
Before we were ever born, God numbered our days and ordered our steps. He created us in His image and planned every detail of our existence. There is nothing or no one that could ever thwart God's purposes and plans. The prophet, Isaiah, tells us, " The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, 'Surely, as I have thought and planned, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand'... For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who can annul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?" ( Isaiah 14:24;27).
In eternity, we will not have a problem understanding God's will, God's ways, and God's timing.
The problem we have sometimes lies in the here and now. There can, at times, be a disconnect because God tells us, "' For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' says the Lord." ( Isaiah 55:8).
There are even times that we can be caught completely off-guard with the things that happen in our lives and in our world. But, God is never surprised. Every occurrence that happens to us has first been sifted through the loving hands of God, our Father. From the time of creation until the second coming of Christ, God is scripting the plan that allows both the fullness of righteousness and the fullness of evil to come to fruition. As A.T Pierson used to say, " History is His story."
As much as I long to completely trust God, I have to admit that sometimes my biggest frustration in my walk with Him is understanding His timing. While we have seen God answer many prayers in astonishing ways, we still have some items on our prayer list about which we have continued to pray for years. Even decades.
Trusting and waiting. These are two things that do not occur easily for me. They elude me intuitively. If they are going to be evident in my life, it will require intentionality on my part and empowerment from the Holy Spirit. Determination is part of this equation for me. The prophet, Jeremiah, describes such intentionality when he said, " I say to myself, ' The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him.'" ( Lamentations 3:24).
There is great purpose in the wait. When the power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed in our seasons of waiting, it will yield a bountiful harvest. The fruit of this harvest is as follows: renewal, refreshing, revival, and revelation. We might also see God's mighty hand of deliverance, provision, and protection as He becomes our refuge. But mostly, we can be assured that God is preparing us for something greater to come.
All of this requires both patience and perserverance. In the book of James, when the author talks about perservering in the midst of trials ( James 1:3-4), he is referring to a military term. The meaning of his terminology is to stand your ground when you are in a battle and caught in a crossfire. To achieve this, we are to be patient under fire, carry on the fight, and never give up, quit, or surrender.
God empowered James to pen these words in the midst of severe persecution and martyrdom in the church. This occurred during a time when the attacks were relentless and unbearable. He explained that if we view our trials as an opportunity to "let endurance and stedfastness and patience do a thorough work" then we will " be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete."
( James 1:4).
James also explained that such perserverance was an opportunity for us to experience the true joy that is found only in God. This was not joy derived from present circumstances. This joy would come from looking forward to and living in expectation of the coming of Jesus- our Blessed Hope.
There are three examples that James gives to us to outline the secret of patience while we are waiting for the Lord's return ( James 5:7-11). First, he describes the patience of a farmer who is waiting for his harvest. Next, he describes how the prophets displayed patience in their suffering. Finally, he describes Job, who continued to trust God in the midst of sorrow.
The farmer is a picture for us of someone who waits and watches for the return of Jesus. Even while he waits for his crops to mature, he is never idle. In a spiritual sense, he continues to : pray, intercede, witness, study, and give. He understands that God is continually producing a harvest in our lives. He waits patiently for the latter rain because he knows the harvest will be worth the wait. Even when he doesn't see fruit instantly from his labor, he accepts the fact that God continues to germinate the seed.
The prophets provide us with a second visual to understand. The lives of the prophets teach us that even when we are fully committed to obedience, there will be opposition and obstacles. In fact, sometimes persecution is a direct result of our obedience. Every one of the disciples also suffered for speaking the truth, but their suffering only made them stronger, not weaker. They suffered so that God's power would be manifested in them. This power is what turned the world upside down for the sake of the Gospel.
Job is the last example James gives to us. Job is a person who shows us that we can remain faithful to God in the midst of suffering and sorrow. Everything in Job's life turned against him- his circumstances, his wife, and his friends. ( At times, he even thought that God had turned against him, too.) He lost everything and went through excruciating pain (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). Behind the scenes, God was weaving a tapestry for Job's good. After God humbled Job, He honored his faithfulness and his suffering and gave him double for everything he lost.
The choices we make in solitude while we wait on God are the most important ones. When we completely trust God, we will endure and triumph victoriously. What we become in our private battles is what we will become in our public battles. D.L. Moody explains, " Character is formed in the dark."
God's purposes are greater than we can even imagine. When we trust in Him and in His timing, He will lift us up. And, when He gives us victory and success, we are to respond in humility, gratitude, and wisdom. Ironically, it is victory that will often reveal either the dross or the gold in our lives.
The battle is the Lord's. The victory is the Lord's. And, the glory is the Lord's. All things are only by the grace of God and for the glory of God. James assures us that God's plans will always end in good, " for He is full of tenderness and mercy" ( James 5:11). Trust not only in God's plans, but trust also in His timing!
" If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, excercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord's people have always been a waiting people."
Charles Spurgeon
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