When the Time Had Fully Come

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son,

born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law,

that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV)

“When the time had fully come, God sent his Son….” Long before time began, God determined the moment He would send Jesus to our world. That time would not come too early nor too late. Jesus came at the right time, the right moment, and in the right place.

            We tend to read those verses without really pausing to contemplate their significance. David cried out, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13:1). Mary and Martha believed Jesus had missed that window of time needed to save their brother Lazarus (John 11:21). Men from the household of Jairus thought Jesus was too late to heal the synagogue ruler’s daughter (Mark 5:35). Yet in each situation, God confirmed that man’s timing is not God’s timing; He is always right where He needs to be when He needs to be.

            At times, we may wonder about God’s plan. We might fret over His apparent ‘silence.’ Our circumstances might lead us to believe all hope is lost. Yet God hasn’t turned a deaf ear to us. He hasn’t walked off the job. Our prayers, our plans, our purpose for the future haven’t gone up in a puff of smoke. God is still working in our lives, pulling all the details together in keeping with His sovereign plan. Our limited understanding can’t comprehend what God is thinking or planning. But of this I am certain; if He ‘delays’ it’s not because He’s holding out on us but because He sees the bigger picture and it’s far grander than we could ever imagine.

Thought: “To trust God is to trust His timing. To trust God is to trust His way. God loves me too much to answer my prayers at any other time than the right time and in any other way than the right way. In the quietness of all that doesn’t feel right, this truth does.” – Lysa Terkeurst

For further reading:

• Ecclesiastes 3:11
• Psalm 37:4-5
• Romans 5:6
• Psalm 5:3