He Knows What He is Doing

Jesus told them, "My time has not yet arrived, but your time is always at hand." - John 7:6

During one of Jerusalem's great feasts, Jesus's brothers strongly urged him to join them in order to, shall we say, "get His message to a larger audience." They just could not understand why Jesus would refuse to see His public ministry expanding (thinking that bigger is always better), and the festival was an excellent opportunity to capitalize on His growing popularity. Yet, in Christ's response we view more evidence that His timing is always synchronous with the accomplishment of His purposes and the infinite nature of those purposes often does not fit into our finite earthly equations.

Much is occurring in our world today (elections, conflict, disaster, etc.) that seemingly demands some sort of action or solution by an earthly power, but let us never forget that the God of the universe is sovereign and that He is actively pursuing the accomplishment of His purpose, which is His Kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven.

To put it simply, as we plot our various strategies and wring our collective hands over all the temporal events before us, let us also observe with spiritual discernment the mighty hand of a sovereign, purposeful, eternal God and trust that He knows what He is doing.

Important as it is that we recognize God working in us, I would yet warn against an over preoccupation with the thought. It is a sure road to sterile passivity. God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination and the divine sovereignty. The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, "Oh Lord Thou knowest." Those things belong to the deep and mysterious Profound of God's omniscience. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints. - A. W. Tozer