“The wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,
though a person may be weighed down by misery.”
Ecclesiastes 8:5-6 (NIV)
Scripture teaches us that God has His own timing in every matter, and that a wise heart knows there is a proper time for everything. In order to trust in God’s timing for the issue we are struggling with, we need to pray for a wise heart.
It’s easy to say that we trust God’s timing until a great plan, that was flowing along beautifully, suddenly gets derailed. It may be delayed or redirected by outside forces that we have no control of. I can speak for myself, that when a plan is thwarted, I start looking for things to blame, whether it’s people, rules, agencies, laws or procedures that move too slow. It’s easy to forget that God has perfect timing for every matter that we have committed to Him.
The scripture today reminds us that there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, even though we can get weighed down with worry, in the waiting period. It’s easy to become anxious when a plan is suddenly interrupted. Sometimes we need reminding that God’s purpose is far beyond our schedule or calendar.
I had confidence in transferring my son, Jon, to a Nursing Home which is closer to where I live. I took a tour of the home a month ago and felt good about it, but wanted to wait until his CT scan confirmed that there’s no need for him to have surgery. By the time the scan was approved, completed and read as stable by the radiologist and surgeon, the new Nursing Facility no longer has an opening, so Jon was placed on a waiting list.
The waiting list issue really threw me off at first. I am a planner by nature, and everything was going smoothly, until the plan was delayed. I am still certain that it’s the right place to transfer him to, but now I am more aware that the timing always has been in God’s hands.
God has a special time for every situation that we have entrusted to Him in prayer. His timing is always perfect, though we don’t always understand the hidden reasons for delayed answers to prayer. We can still be sure that God knows the proper time and procedure for everything that we have committed to Him. I look forward to finding out when that proper time will be for Jon’s transfer.
If we commit all of our concerns to God in prayer, we should probably include trusting His perfect timing as well. As I read the scripture today, it seems obvious that the Holy Spirit wants to give us a wise heart, to trust in divine timing, and release all of our worries regarding things we pray and ask for. We may have our deadlines but God’s timing exceeds deadlines.
Lord, give us wise hearts to know that your timing and plans are always perfect. We trust you to answer prayers in their proper time and to lift all anxiety from our hearts and minds. Amen
