GOD'S TIMING (2)
I wrote yesterday about the frustration of coming to terms with God’s timing in situations, plus the problem of running ahead of God, and not waiting for His perfect timing in our situations. We must remember:
IT IS ONE THING TO BE CALLED, ANOTHER WHEN TO BE SENT !!!
I can honestly say I cannot remember a time (of any significance) that I have run ahead of God, but I could write at length on the frustrating experiences of waiting for God’s timing in a situation. I have written numerous times on the fact that for most of my personal and ministry life I have “lived the dream”. Twenty two years of Pastoral Ministry, then being wonderfully led of the Lord into Bible College Ministry for a further nineteen years. Then the remarkable re-direction of my ministry to stepping out in faith (with no assured finance) in September 2005, and entering into the choicest, fruitful time in my whole ministry.
It all came crashing down when in October 2012 I needed a revision on my knee replacement surgery, On Christmas ve that year, my knee had swollen to the size of a football, and I was admitted to hospital to discover that during surgery I had contracted a nasty staph. infection. I was put on strong intravenous antibiotics for six weeks, followed by further courses of oral antibiotics, but the infection remained.
I had asked the questions:
Why had I contracted the infection in the first place?
Why didn’t the treatment deal with the problem?
Why had my ministry been so curtailed, when so much was being accomplished for the Kingdom of God?
It was a further eighteen months (with a total of a further three months in hospital) that I was at last declared “infection free”.But now needed a walking stick to safely walk.
The Bible teaches Jesus is Jehovah Ropheca (The Lord our healer) why didn’t Jesus heal me instantly? His timing and His purposes are so different to ours. The two years was truly a “Refiner’s fire” for me, Romans 8:28 declares “ALL things work together for good, to them who love God and are called according to His purpose”. There was a lot of stuff in my life that God has needed to deal with (He isn’t finished yet). I have come to see:
GOD IS MORE INTERESTED IN WORKING HIS NATURE INTO ME, THAN MY MINISTRY!!
I can look back now (and ask the Lord for His forgiveness for expressing my frustrations) and thank God for His work of Grace in my life, I sure am not yet where God wants me to be, so do not think I am promoting myself as a “super saint” (far from it) but the results of the “Refiner’s fire) are at least evident to me.
I also thank God for the awesome revelations he has poured into my heart, I guess many things I should have known, or only knew partly, His Word means so much more to me today.
Because of not being able to travel much, I have also learnt so much more about prayer and especially Intercession, I will thank God throughout eternity for this.
In the light of my difficulties with walking and exercise, I made the decision in April to conclude my overseas ministry, this felt like I had a death in the family, it was a difficult but necessary decision. I mentioned in an earlier blog that I had been praying about a particular matter for about six months before God started to give me an answer (it is now at least nine months) and I am quietly encouraged, by the changes that answer to prayer has made, Why God didn’t give me an instant answer I may never know, His ways are past finding out, But I do declare He is the Sovereign Lord, and DOES ALL THINGS WELL. As Abraham laid down his son, and God returned Isaac to him, I think it maybe that God is going to give me more opportunity to serve Him in Asia. I am not rushing this decision, but am taking it a day at a time.
because of my humanity, I am sure there will be further frustrating experiences, but I sure have a practical personal understanding of why God many times does not instantly change situations, or instantly answer prayer.
HINDSIGHT IS 20/20 VISION
I can now look back and thank God for His delays, it is all because HE LOVES ME, and wants the very best for me, I give Him all the praise and all the glory.
This particular blog is very much about me, and I could only share out of personal experience, I do trust it has helped you.
At the height of the Charismatic renewal God raised up Rev. Alan Langstaff who founded the Temple Trust, we became good friends, He preached one Sunday morning a sermon in our church in Sydney on THE SLOWNESS OF GOD, it was an awesome sermon, which at that time was mostly theory to me, I sure understand it better today.
LET US THANK GOD FOR HIS APPARENT DELAYS, HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING!!!
