Do events in our life just happen? Or is there an "appointed time" for them? Sometimes we strive and work so hard to make stuff happen, but to no avail it seems. There are all sorts of reasons why we may be unsuccessful; it has become clear to me lately that one reason is often timing.
Take Elizabeth and Zechariah, for instance. "They were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both well advanced in years." We are also told that they were both "righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly." How many times do you think they must have prayed for a child? How many times do you think they saw their friends and family bear children and think, "Why not us? What have we done wrong?" Elizabeth "felt disgrace among the people." Do you ever feel like that? How come so and so got a husband or wife, but I have not? Will I ever get married? When will I get that perfect job I've been working so hard for? So and so go it right out of college, but here I am stuck doing such and such. When will we bear children? The list goes on and on...
For one thing, our heart attitudes are being purified as we wait. But also, there's an "appointed time". Zechariah "was chosen by lot" to go in and burn incense before the Lord in his priestly role. It was then that he was encountered by an angel who said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John." He and his wife's prayers had been heard; they were not forgotten! The angel goes on to tell him, "...my words will come true at their appointed time."
There's always so much more going on behind the scenes in any situation that we have no clue about. Often times, pieces are moving into place and stuff is happening in our lives and in the world around us in preparation for a "breakthrough" if you will in whatever thing we are working for and dreaming of.
Again, with Elizabeth and Zechariah, we know that "in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David." This Mary, as you know, is the mother of Jesus Christ - God in the flesh! This Mary is also the cousin of Elizabeth. And this child in Elizabeth's womb (John the Baptist) is destined to go before and prepare the way for Jesus. There was an "appointed time" when Mary would be old enough to carry a child and to be betrothed to a man, for the boy Jesus would need a earthly mother and father. And so, there was an "appointed time" for Zechariah and Elizabeth as well, for God's glory! I'm sure that they found it to be well worth the wait!
So, if the mountain doesn't seem to be moving for you right now, it may just be that it's not the right timing. Don't give up! Jesus Christ is the Lord of the breakthrough!When you have the confidence that what you're workig for is God's desire too, you can stand on God's promise: "For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay." It only seems to delay, because our sense of time is so limited. Just think of all that's happened in the last month, year, and decade. So much is going to happen in the next month, year, and decade. It will not delay, so praise God and enjoy the journey!
