A week or so two ago I was talking with God about various prayer requests that I’d had for a while. I was asking questions about whether I was praying correctly, if I should stop asking for those things or keep asking, if He was ever going to move as I was asking Him, etc. I’ll admit, I was struggling with impatience. I wanted God to take care of the situation. Release revelation. Open blind eyes and deaf ears. Heal my loved ones.
But as I talked with God, He led me to look up the word “time” in a concordance. So I went to BlueLetterBible.org and BibleGateway.com and looked at a bunch of verses with the word “time” in them. Here are some of the verses that the Holy Spirit pointed out.
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Genesis 18:14, when the angel was talking about the promise given years earlier to Abraham that he would have a son:
Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.
Genesis 21:2:
So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.
Leviticus 23:4, regarding the establishment of feasts:
These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them.
Numbers 28:2: regarding offerings:
Command the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be careful to present My offering, My food for My offerings by fire, of a soothing aroma to Me, at their appointed time.’
2 Samuel 24:15, regarding a plague sent because of the people’s disobedience:
So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died.
Psalm 75:2:
When I select an appointed time, It is I who judge with equity.
Psalm 102:13:
You will arise and have compassion on Zion; For it is time to be gracious to her, For the appointed time has come.
Ecclesiastes 3:1:
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.
Jeremiah 33:20:
Thus says the Lord, “If you can break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night will not be at their appointed time…”
Daniel 8:19:
He said, “Behold, I am going to let you know what will occur at the final period of the indignation, for it pertains to the appointed time of the end.”
Habakkuk 2:3:
For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
Mark 13:33, where Jesus was saying:
Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.
Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.
Acts 17:26, when Paul was preaching to the people of Athens:
…and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times…
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As I read all of these verses, I realized in a deeper way that even though God resides outside of time and the end of the world is already past tense to Him, He still cares deeply about when things happen in Earth’s timeline. He cares so much that He chooses an appointed time for many things to happen.
He then challenged me again on whether I would trust Him.
I was getting impatient because He wasn’t doing things in my preferred timing.
He was asking me if I was willing to trust that His appointed times were better than my preferred times.
When He asks me that sort of question, there is only one response. He says in Isaiah 55 that His thoughts and ways are higher than mine, and His times are higher and better than mine, too!
But then He whispered this instruction to help me be patient:
While you’re waiting, praise Me for My appointed times.
So I’ve begun doing that for each situation that I’ve been praying about. It’s amazing how much confidence He releases within me when I do!
Be blessed!