<The Test of Time>
“There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NCV
If you were to look around and ask the closest person next to you, “What are you waiting for?” you would find that each person may say something different, but each person would have something to say.
If the person is single, they may say they’re waiting to find their future spouse and be married.
If they’re newly married, they may say they’re waiting to one day have kids.
If they’re a working adult, they may say they’re waiting to become a multi-millionaire, gain fame, become debt-free, or retire early.
If they’re older parents, they may say they’re waiting to be grandparents.
It would be very rare to meet someone who doesn’t have anything they’re waiting for or hoping for. And while I believe it is beautiful to have goals, aspirations, and dreams, I also think it is just as important to embrace each day and make the most of whatever season you currently find yourself in.
In the book of Genesis, we are introduced to a man named Abram who was given a promise by God Himself.
“After these things happened, the LORD spoke his word to Abram in a vision: “Abram, don’t be afraid. I will defend you, and I will give you a great reward.”
But Abram said, “LORD GOD, what can you give me? I have no son, so my slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything I own after I die.” Abram said, “Look, you have given me no son, so a slave born in my house will inherit everything I have.”
Then the LORD spoke his word to Abram: “He will not be the one to inherit what you have. You will have a son of your own who will inherit what you have.”
Then God led Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky. There are so many stars you cannot count them. Your descendants also will be too many to count.”
Abram believed the LORD. And the LORD accepted Abram’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.” Genesis 15:1-6 NCV
Imagine…the God of the universe gives you a vision, speaks to you, and gives you a promise – you would believe Him, right? Especially if this isn’t the first time God has given you a promise and faithfully fulfilled His word (see Genesis 12:1-2).
I like to think that sometimes we have selective amnesia. We tend to pick and choose what we remember God doing for us, or we place Him in a box, thinking that just because He came through for us in “this area,” it doesn’t mean He’ll do the same in “that area.”
In the very next chapter of Genesis, Abram’s wife, Sarai, instructs him to sleep with her servant, believing the Lord has prevented her from having children (Genesis 16:1-2).
The problem with having our own timetable is we believe it’s our job to take matters in our own hands,
if we don’t see God move as quickly as we’d like.
Please don’t let “the test of time” keep you from living a life of obedience.
If God made a promise to you, your job is to keep believing until you see it come to pass.
If God wanted you to take matters in your own hands, He wouldn’t have taken the time to give you vision in the first place.
God gifts us with vision out of a place of love. We are supposed to use our hope and faith as fuel to help us push through, until we see the promise fulfilled.
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 NLT
Sarai’s female servant ends up giving birth to son named Ishmael, and thirteen years later God appears to Abram again.
“God said to Abraham, “I will change the name of Sarai, your wife, to Sarah. I will bless her and give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”
“Abraham bowed down facedown on the ground and laughed. He said to himself, “Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth to a child when she is ninety? Then Abraham said to God, “Please let Ishmael be the son you promised.” Genesis 17:15-16 NCV
I love this story for so many reasons. And this is why:
Years after both Abraham and Sarah think God has forgotten about them, He still affirms the promise He placed over their life and speaks life into their legacy.
He chooses to bless us in ways that seem impossible to humans, ourselves included.
His word does not come back void. He does not change his mind based on our mistakes. Instead of changing His promise to redeem their actions (having Ishmael), He stands on His word. “But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son whom Sarah will have at this same time next year.” Genesis 17:21
I believe “time” can be our friend, if we keep our eyes on the Only One able to bring promises to pass. If the Lord has gifted you with vision, don’t let time rob you from the blessings He has in store for you. Our safe place is found in the Will of God. Our job is to keep trusting Him, even when things take longer than we anticipated.
Ecclesiastes highlights the various seasons we’ll face in life, and it reminds us that we have the chance to make the most of each day. You may be single now, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be single forever. Instead of allowing time to make you upset, change your perspective to “God, what would you like me to do with the time you’ve given me?” Adopting a glass-half-full mindset helps you strengthen your trust and hope in God, knowing that “if it was meant to happen already, it would have” and “if it hasn’t happened yet, I can still choose to make the most of each day.”
God cares more about our heart posture and our life’s purpose than our social, relationship, or financial status. If we allow “time” to have its perfect work in us, we will see that the period between “vision given” to “promise received” is the perfect space for us to grow into the kind of person capable of sustaining those promises.
Every day is a gift from God, and my prayer is that you’ll let Him lead you to the life He created you for.
