Perfect Timing

A verse that has become very special to me over the past few years is Ecclesiastes 3:11, which reads, He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:… We all are familiar with the beginning of this same chapter which speaks of the seasons of life. Some of the seasons listed would not be considered pleasant ones, but God has a plan and a purpose for every “time” in our lives. We are given confirmation in verse 11 that everything we face will be made beautiful, though we do not always see the beauty; but it will only happen in His time. There is a process by which God gets us to where He wants us so that we can be what we need to be in order to fulfill His will for our lives.

Joseph is one of my favorite people to read about in the Bible, other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the favored son of Jacob and was sold into slavery by his brothers, narrowly escaping a plot to be murdered. He faced loneliness, hardships of slavery, false accusations, imprisonment, and many other things throughout his young life. Everything that he faced eventually put him into a position that enabled him to save the lives of many people, including those of his own family. The Bible tells us that during all of this, the Lord was with Joseph. God was guiding every step of the way. These events did not take Him by surprise, nor were they outside of His divine will. Joseph worded it perfectly in Genesis 50:20 when he said, But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

There are many examples in the Bible of people who, like Joseph, were brought to a different place through less than desirable circumstances at just the right time so that they could fulfill God’s will. I think of Ruth, Esther, Jonah, Daniel, David, and Paul, to name a few. Of course, the greatest example of all is our Saviour. He endured mocking, slandering, and unimaginable physical torture which brought him to his final destination: a cruel cross. It was there that He fulfilled God’s will so that we could become heirs of God and have a way to Heaven.

We are carnal. We could not look at events such as those described in Scripture and call them beautiful. We do not look at imprisonment, punishment, torture, shipwreck, or death as being good. In fact, most of us would consider them to be tragedies. However, in God’s time, events such as these could be reflected upon fondly and even be considered beautiful because of the end result. We realize, through the passing of time, that God uses each and every situation in our lives for a purpose.

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer not too long after we moved to Florida when I was in elementary school. She fought this battle for about two years and died at the age of thirty-three on February 25, 2005. She left behind five children and a husband. I was eleven years old and unsaved at the time. Our family struggled with her passing. We each dealt with our grief in our own ways, and none of them were good. I became increasingly bitter and depressed and even began to doubt that God existed.

Through a series of events, I moved in with my aunt and uncle two years later. During that time, they happened to be attending the church where I am currently a member. I did not want to go to church! There are some at the church now who remember those days when I first began to attend. They could testify that I was pretty rough, to say the least! Not long after this, I was forced to go to a youth camp with the church youth group, who I still did not like at that time. It was at this camp in Dayton, Tennessee, where I accepted the Lord as my personal Saviour.

Things were not perfect, even after getting saved. I had much growing to do, and there were many trials from my past that I needed to overcome. Years later, after yet another battle, I found myself living with my Christian school teacher starting in my junior year of high school. She is a single lady who had one of her daughters (who was also a teacher in the school) living with her at that time. I cannot think of a better example of what a Christian lady should be in our day than these two ladies! I learned so much from these dedicated servants of God. The lessons I learned during this time were essential and came at just the right time in my life. Because of the sacrifices of these two ladies and the wisdom I was able to glean from them throughout my last two years of high school, I was able to graduate and continue my education in Bible college. There are many others who God put along my path who invested little bits and pieces into me to help to shape and form me into who I am today.

After I graduated from college, I had yet another waiting period. I had not yet found the mate God had for me. I thought I was going to be a crazy dog lady and live a lonely life with fifty dogs (because dogs are much better than cats)! Had I not followed the advice of my pastor and remained patient, I never would have found God’s perfect will in that area of my life. I could have taken things into my own hands or gotten impatient with the timing and settled for another path. I am glad that I waited for God’s timing because I needed that waiting period to continue to work on myself. There were more lessons that I needed to learn during that time.

I never considered my mother’s death to be a pleasant thing. I did not particularly enjoy being passed around from house to house and family to family while growing up. I enjoyed being single but did not want to be single forever. God used all of these circumstances to mold me each step of the way. He methodically chiseled away those things that did not need to be in my life and filled each and every void with something better. Now, I can look back at all that occurred, and I can honestly praise God for these things. I do not look back at them with sorrow or nostalgia. I stand in awe at the reflection of the beauty of God’s handiwork.

God’s timing and His plans are perfect. Who else could have worked such an elaborate plan? Even when we mess up or veer off course, God has us in His mighty hand and takes us to where He needs us to be. Because of my mother’s death, I was able to get into just the right home for that time so that I could be saved and could get established in a Bible-preaching church. Then, my teacher was available and willing to take me in at the time when I needed it so that I could grow further and could continue to follow the will of God for my life. I stayed faithful in church, serving God, while waiting for His will in finding my spouse. It all happened at just the right time! Now, I still am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I do try my best to serve God. I think I have lived a beautiful life thus far and would not trade what God has put along my path to bring me to where I am today.

Friend, are you in a trial? Do you feel as if you have been passed around and buffeted by the burdens you face? Stop to consider what God might be doing. He is with you every step of the way. He knows exactly what you need and when you need it. You might not be able to see it now, but in time, you too will be able to look back and see the beauty in each situation. Do not rush the process! God’s timing is perfect, and that ugly situation you face will be made beautiful in His time. I know this because it has been true for me. I know this because the Bible says, He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:…

by Alyssa King