Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Right On Time

5/24/2016

Romans 5. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. – St. Paul

Time, whether we understand it or not, is important; it’s our present reality. There will come a time when it will be no more and we’ll toss our watches in the trash forever. I think when that happens, we’ll have a capacity only for the present. Most of us live as if time is all we’ll ever have and so we live remembering our yesterdays and thinking about our tomorrow’s.

In the verse above the object is not time, but Christ’s death for us. That’s what’s important. It is important that Jesus took our sins upon Himself and bore them to the cross where He willingly accepted the punishment that was meant for us. He did it at just the right time. He wasn’t early; He didn’t show up late – at just the right time, when we were still powerless to do anything about it, Jesus died for the ungodly.

This is monumental. You see, at just the right time, God created the world. At just the right time God showed up when Adam and Eve sinned. In Galatians 4 Paul said: But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. (Vv. 4,5) God is always right on time. Our time. We’re the ones with time issues. But God cares about us; and God makes a way for us – in time – to come to Him.

When we need God most is when He shows up. That doesn’t mean He’s off somewhere else; it just means that His dealings with us are always right on time – for our benefit, not His.

God is omnipresent. God is the ever-present Author of the story. God is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Jesus did what He did in faith. He pioneered for us what no one else could or would do. And it has always been right on time. (Remarkably, God does a lot of what He does with people as His props and tools. They say in showbiz: never trust animals or children. Well God does what He does with people…)

Today, I am grateful for the timing of God. I am grateful that He is aware of my time – my needs, my concerns, and everything that has to do with my life. And, I am also grateful that He uses me in His time: speaking a kind word, praying a prayer, serving the needs of someone else. I am grateful for God’s time.

One day our reality will be the Eternal Day, and time will be no more. One day, we’ll all be off to the next adventure and God will be our Lead. But right now, today, I am grateful that at just the right time, Jesus Christ died for me so that I could spend an eternity with God.

Father, above and beyond my time, You are always right on time. You are working in the lives of Your people and You are perfectly in-sync with the lives of Your children. Thank You that it has always been so, and forever more will be. Guide me this day to the people I need to talk with and Lord, thank You that You are always right on time. Amen

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