God’s timing is never late, never early; it is always perfect. Discover how Scripture and real-life experiences show us why trusting God’s timing brings peace, growth, and blessing.
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Introduction
We live in a world of instant everything: fast food, same-day shipping, and answers at our fingertips. Yet God’s timing is not bound to our clocks or schedules. Waiting on Him is often difficult, but Scripture shows us that His timing is always purposeful, perfect, and best. Today, we will look at three passages of Scripture that help us understand God’s timing and how we can faithfully live while we wait.
The Glory Belongs to the Lord
There is a great story of trusting the Lord found in Luke 5:4-7.
Luke 5:4-7
(4) When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." (5) Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." (6) When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. (7) So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
This passage occurs at the very start of Jesus’ ministry. Peter, James, and John were weary fishermen who had worked all night with nothing to show for it. They were likely frustrated, exhausted, and discouraged. Yet Jesus told them to go out again, not in shallow water, but into the deep. In the culture of the time, professional fishermen relied on their own skill, timing, and knowledge of the waters. For Jesus, a carpenter-turned-rabbi, to tell them how to fish must have seemed absurd.
But notice Peter’s words: “Because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Obedience led to abundance. The miracle pointed everyone to Jesus as Lord, not the fishermen’s skill.
Imagine if they had caught fish all night. They might not have been in the right place at the right time for Jesus to use their boat to teach from. They also could have ignored Jesus and relied on their own abilities and knowledge. But in this case, they had spent the night out fishing and caught nothing. Jesus told them to go back out and let down the nets they had just finished washing and stowing away.
Jesus’ perfect timing showed that when they obeyed him and trusted his timing, he would always be faithful. I am sure they gave Jesus all the glory for the catch. They could go home fulfilled that they were able to catch fish and also be used by the Lord.
Life Application
When God asks you to “go out into the deep,” it may feel uncomfortable or illogical. That is when His glory shines brightest. Instead of relying on your own timing and expertise, you can choose to obey even when it does not make sense.
What “deep waters” might God be calling you into today, an act of faith, generosity, or service? This week, obey God in one area that feels inconvenient or uncomfortable, trusting Him for the results.
Trusting God’s Timing
The same principle applies to trusting God’s timing. It may not always seem like it, but God always knows what is best for you. You may want something now, but that does not mean that it is what is best for you.
We see in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 that there is a time for everything under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
(1) There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: (2) a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, (3) a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, (4) a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, (5) a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, (6) a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, (7) a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, (8) a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes was written by Solomon near the end of his life. Having pursued wealth, wisdom, and pleasure, he recognized that human striving cannot control life. The Hebrew word zĕmān (time/season) points to God’s sovereignty over appointed times. Life comes in cycles: joy and sorrow, planting and harvesting, beginnings and endings. Just as the farmer cannot rush the seasons, we cannot rush God’s work in our lives.
This passage teaches us to embrace the reality that God appoints seasons for His purposes, even when we do not understand why.
Personal Testimony
I remember many years ago, I was leading the college ministry at a church, and we had just finished a week-long camp for college students at Glacier Bible Camp in Hungry Horse, Montana. We had just had the last chapel service, and we were anxious to get in our van and start the 14-hour drive back home. We were going to be driving through the night. The missionary who had been the main speaker at all the services all week wanted to talk with us before we left, and then he wanted to pray for us. The van drivers were getting a little impatient because we had such a long drive, and it was already late in the evening. We ended up being delayed about 40 minutes.
Once we were able to leave, and about 30 minutes into our drive, we were detoured because the highway we were on had been closed. As we drove on the detour route, we could look off in the distance and see all sorts of flashing lights on emergency vehicles on the highway we were supposed to be on. The radio in the van then switched over to a news bulletin that there had been a very bad automobile accident on the highway 40 minutes earlier, and many people had died in the accident.
We would have been in that accident if we had not been delayed. It was the Lord who impressed the missionary to talk to us for a time and then pray for us. He didn’t know what was happening, but he listened to the Lord and talked with us for a few moments. The Lord’s timing saved our lives. I am here today, almost 30 years later, because the Lord caused someone to delay us that night.
Life Application
Waiting does not mean wasting time. Every season has value; God uses both joy and struggle to shape us. Instead of asking “When will this end?” you can ask “What is God teaching me in this season?”
Identify the season you are in right now; whether it feels like sowing, reaping, mourning, or dancing. Ask God to show you what He wants you to learn or develop in this season. Share in the comments below one way you can embrace it.
God Knows Best
Proverbs 3:5-6 says:
Proverbs 3:5-6
(5) Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs are wisdom sayings collected primarily from Solomon. In Hebrew thought, the “heart” was the seat of will and decision-making, not just emotion. To “trust with all your heart” means to place your whole decision-making process in God’s hands. “Straight paths” do not mean easy paths; they mean a clear direction without wandering. The contrast is between leaning on human logic versus fully submitting to God’s wisdom.
Throughout Scripture, those who trusted God’s direction often walked a harder road, but it was always the right road: Abraham leaving Ur, Moses confronting Pharaoh, Mary accepting the angel’s message.
God knew there would be no fish that night when the fishermen were out working, and Jesus would need a boat in the morning to teach from. He also knew there would be a great school of fish in the morning, ready to be caught.
God knew there would be that terrible accident in Montana, and he had a plan and purpose for many of the people in that church van. They had many years of ministry service ahead of them. That van had two future pastors, a future high school teacher, and a future high school principal in it. He had a plan and purpose for each one of these.
We need to leave our worries in God’s hands and trust that he knows what he is doing. Do not rely exclusively on your own knowledge and understanding. Do not only reach out to God after you have tried everything you know and failed. Reach out to God first. Trust his teaching and timing. He will make your paths straight. His timing will be perfect. God’s timing is best.
We often try to figure out life with our own understanding. But God sees the beginning and the end; His perspective is eternal. Surrender is not weakness; it is wisdom.
Life Application
Before making a decision this week, whether big or small, pause and ask, “Lord, what would You have me do?”
Make it a daily habit to submit your schedule and choices to God in prayer, even for ordinary tasks.
Conclusion
God’s timing rarely matches our impatience. But His timing always produces the greatest fruit, the deepest growth, and the clearest testimony of His glory.
Think of a diamond: it takes immense pressure and time to transform from rough carbon into brilliance. In the same way, God is forming us in His perfect timing.
This week:
- Trust God’s process: Obey Him in the deep waters.
- Embrace your season: Learn from the moment you are in.
- Submit daily: Surrender decisions and timing to Him.
When we do these things, we discover the truth: God’s timing is not only best, it is perfect.
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