His Way in His Time

Call on Me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me. (PSALM 50:15 HCSB)

Reading this promise – this truth – can at first be so inspiring and a relief, but then, upon more thought, it can cause one to lean back and fold his or her arms with a sigh. Why? Because, while God will rescue us when we call on Him, it’s often not on our timeline or how we want to be rescued. Whether we’ve gotten ourselves into trouble or unfair misfortune has interrupted our life, we think and plot and plan and rethink about what we will do until we’re exhausted because, in all that time, He hasn’t shown Himself. Yet.

God, in His providence and wisdom, has a solution to every problem imaginable. He’s got them all – nothing is too difficult. But His deliverance will be in His time and His way. It’s usually a way that is far greater than we can imagine. This is because He is a “gasp maker.” When He moves, His power and strength and ability are so astounding, our immediate response is to gasp in amazement. And He loves it.

Imagine Saul – who persecuted Christians – gasping when the Lord appeared as a bright light to him on the road to Damascus, then put scales on his eyes and spoke out loud. And what about the men with Saul when it happened? I imagine they gasped when they saw him, one minute spewing threats and marching to find ore Christians to imprison, the next suddenly falling to the ground and becoming confused. Then what about Ananias’ gasp when the Lord told him, a faithful disciple, to get up and meet “the man from Tarsus named Saul”? I can hear his amazement now: “What? Do You realize what You’re telling me to do?!” (see Acts 9:1-14)

There is story after story of God’s miraculous intervention where His timing and approach caught everyone off guard and His ways didn’t make sense to the human mind. He wants us to be clear that He will work in His own way, in His own time, and they are both always best. In the meantime, it’s our job to call on Him, to trust in Him, to wait on Him, to believe in Hi. And be ready to gasp.

Father,

You are so mighty and great. I call on You now to help me in my circumstances and give me the faith to believe with all my heart and mind that You hear me, and You’ll help.

I give You all honor, glory, and praise in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This is an excerpt from God’s Truth for Troubled Times by Lisa Stilwell - a devotional book now available from DaySpring publishing. Learn more about this book, or shop other books & devotionals from DaySpring.