When I worked with Paul, he was always late.
Late to our staff meeting. Late for appointments. He was late to meetings he had requested and was leading. Always late to everything. Paul was a very compelling communicator with a great sense of humor. However, it was a trait that led to considerable frustration among the people who worked with him.
You may wonder if Paul should have been written up by a supervisor or lost his job because of this problem. That’s a fair question. But, if that thought crossed your mind as I shared his story, I have a hunch about something which might be difficult in your relationship with God.
Do you get frustrated with God the way I got frustrated with Paul? God doesn’t operate based on our digital calendar, and He certainly doesn’t share His iPhone location so you can know how far away He is on His way to meet you. Many times in my life, I have felt like God was running behind. By “running behind,” I mean he was not following my schedule and expectations.
Yet, Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us that God doesn’t operate like we do. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine…my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
God is never late, according to His sense of time. Elevation Worship’s song featuring vocalist Bella Cordero, “Always on Time,” embodies this reality in a beautiful way.
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The song draws on Biblical truth from the Old and New Testament. The chorus specifically reminds us that just like an angel walked with three young men in the fiery furnace of Daniel 3, God walks with us through our fiery trials. In fact, the songs teaches us at least four lessons about God’s timing - insights we all either need for our present or future struggles!
First, we need to beware of trusting our assessment when it comes to God’s timing. According to Ecclesiastes 3:11, our ability to discern God’s timing is limited. ”God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
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Second, we need to remain patient and persevere while waiting on God. Habakkuk 2:3 speaks words of encouragement to our impatient hearts. “The vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slowly in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place.”
Third, we need to remember that God is outside of time, while we are bound by it. We see through the lens of our lifetimes, while God sees all of human history. 2 Peter 3:8 describes this with poetic language. “A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.”
Fourth, we experience God’s presence when we surrender to His timing. Psalm 46:10 invites us to “Be still and know that I am God.” The Hebrew word for “be still” is a word picture of fists being unclenched. One Hebrew expert told me the verse could also be translated “cease striving.” When we stop striving and start surrendering, we trust God’s timing and worship Him with our whole heart!
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My favorite part of Elevation Worship’s “Always On Time” is a section from the bridge where Bella Cordero beautifully declares a testimony of God’s faithfulness.
“There's never been a day, never been a minute
Never been a moment that You weren't in it
There's never been a time that You didn't see me through, God.”
On many occasions, I’ve felt like God was late. I looked at my watch. I considered my circumstances. My blood pressure went up, and my emotions were intense. “God, don’t you see what’s happening here?! When are you going to get here and do something about this?”
As I look back, the view from inside those experiences and my view today are different. While I don’t fully understand God’s work in my life thus far, I have seen God’s timing play out in miraculous ways. He has never abadoned me. In fact, I’ve often felt closest to God during the fire and the valley.
If you’re struggling with God’s timing and work in your life, I encourage you to re-read the passages I’ve shared above and the four truths they teach. I also encourage you to turn on Elevation Worship’s “Always on Time”. Close your eyes, listen to the lyrics, and consider how the words Cordero sings can become your song of faith as you wait for God and trust in Him.
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps people transform difficult circumstances into places where they can thrive. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and loves watching movies with his wife and three kids. You can begin Scott’s life-changing project, The 21 Day Gratitude Challenge, today.
