Why God’s Timing Is Right on the Money

Today, we are in Ecclesiastes three talking about the subject of God’s timing as we close our series on the subject of the Lord’s vision for your life. What does time and timing have to do with anything? As intelligent, detailed and sophisticated as our God is by nature, it should be easy to understand how God’s perfect timing is always at work. This story is told about Abraham Lincoln: He was out at the back of his store one day rummaging through an old barrel. He was done rummaging when he reached in and felt a couple of books. When he pulled them up, he saw they were Blackstone’s commentaries. He read those and became a lawyer, and he got into politics. Of course, we know the story: he became the President of the United States and the healer of the sore of the Civil War. It may have all started with his rummaging in a barrel.¹ Do you think God had anything to do with President Lincoln finding those books at the exact time he did while he wasn’t the president? Or do you feel that such discoveries were only by chance? God doesn’t leave anything to chance. In fact, it’s never chance, it’s always God’s perfect timing. That’s the pool we are going to jump into today. Why God’s Timing Is Right on the Money — that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 48 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 44 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Prayer

Well again, welcome.
Let’s pray.

Father God, thank you for your perfect will in our lives revealed at the perfect time. How great and marvelous these things are with you. Show us — teach us about time and timing today. Grant unto us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of these things in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God’s Timing: the Preciseness of His Creation

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV) — To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace.

The word of God discusses the concept of time in these eight verses.
Notice the words “every thing“.
Every thing has a season.
Why is that?
It’s because God is in everything.

1 Corinthians 8:5–6 (ESV) — 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

If you look at creation and how precise things are in it, you can readily understand how there can be a season to everything.
The natural world is tuned with all the precision of an atom.
One example is the water cycle, which demonstrates precision in the way water evaporates and condenses, maintaining a balance essential for life.
This process is seen as evidence of intentional design rather than random chance.
What about the precise relationship between stars, planets, and other celestial bodies?
Did you know that mathematical equations can be written to predict the planets movements over time?
This level of precision suggests a degree of planning and intentionality behind the universe’s design.
How about the fine-tuning of the universe for life, from the distance of the Earth from the Sun to the composition of the atmosphere?
If any of these are off by even a small amount, life would not be able to exist on planet Earth.
The precision and balance of our ecosystems, where each created being, every bird, even every bug plays a role in maintaining life should be further proof to us that it’s easy for such a God as this to say to us to every thing there’s a season.
These kinds of actions are totally easy for our God.
He is marvelous!
So, don’t think for one moment that God could ever lose track of you.

Luke 12:7 (ESV) — 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

That’s a Bible fact.

God’s Vision Has God’s Timing Attached to It

Every purpose under heaven, has time and timing attached to it.
Mark this down and don’t forget it, there are no unused members in the body of Christ.
There was no one that doesn’t have a purpose.
You’re not an accident.
You’re an on purpose.
Listen to God on this.
Don’t buy into the uneducated who say to you that you were not planned.
That you were surprise — not to God you weren’t.
It’s not true.
God planned for you, God accounted for you, and God has a purpose for your life.

Esther 4:14 (ESV) — 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Mordecai was speaking to Esther.
He was encouraging her not to miss her window of opportunity.
Delivering the Jews was her area of influence.
Esther was the leader in this area.
Leadership is influence.
The call of God on Esther’s life was to use her influence with the King at the exact right moment.
You see you must say ‘yes’ to the vision.
You must be open to God using you His way and His time.
Now, you think everybody in the body of Christ would be open to this.
I mean, why wouldn’t they, Jesus died for them? But it’s true.
Some are just not willing.

God’s Timing Means Life Is Not On Your Terms

Instead, they want life on their terms.
Do you remember, we talked to you about exchanging your idea of your life for His in an earlier podcast?
And with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.
The Lord spoke to my spiritual dad and told him to leave the pastoral ministry and go on the road and teach the Bible.
So, he headed out.
But after a while, he decided that the cost was too great to pay.
So, he canceled his meetings and decided to come off the road.
What happened?
Well, he got sick is what happened almost to the point of death, like heart attack dead – and during that moment, he had to repent, and his wife had to repent because she was complaining that he was gone so much.
As soon as he repented and readjusted himself and decided to go back and do the thing, God called him to do, he was instantly healed.
You see if you’re not going to do what God wired you to do, on planet Earth, maybe you don’t need to be on planet Earth.
I mean why are you here if not to do His will?

Romans 9:20 (ESV) — 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

God’s Timing – God Works Behind the Scenes

God has given you a purpose — a vision for your life.
But that vision is within the framework of His timeline.
In other words, there is a determined time for your purpose to be accomplished.
Which also means there is a season for every purpose to be made known to you.
There is a time for revelation and for uncovering.
It seems like the Lord works in the two to five year range.
At least that’s the way it’s been for Sharon and me.
Sharon will get things ahead of me in the two to five year range.
A lot of the more significant moves closer to the five year range.

Amos 3:7 (ESV) — 7 “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

You must understand how God moves — how He works.
He talks to multiple people about what’s coming up.
God does it to confirm that’s its actually Him that’s moving.

2 Corinthians 13:1 (ESV) — 1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

You would not be wrong to pray along these lines.
That is say to the Lord, “I am hearing you say this in my spirit. Give it to my wife. Give it to my husband.’
I have heard of marriages getting messed up because they didn’t understand these things.
One spouse hears from God and makes the mistake that Moses made — they head right out.
Instead of killing the Egyptian, they kill the marriage.
The marriage messed up — children are caught in the cross-fire because they were unfied on the vision.
One had it — one didn’t.
Now, I’m referencing honest people here.
I’m talking about an honest husband and wife.
Both honest to do the things of God.
If you’re not married, you might work with God on this line, ‘Lord give it to someone else that I trust.’
‘Lord, I just want to make sure I got it right — I heard you right.’
There’s nothing wrong with that.
God understands there is a lot going on in your brain.
We had to learn early on how to manage God’s dealings because when God deals with you — it seems so real that you think you need to head out right away.
There is a time for every ‘purpose’ under heaven.
Revelation or an uncovering of the particulars of a vision has it’s time.
The manifestation of it has it’s time as well.
When I say manifestation of the vision, I’m talking about when God actually opens the door for you to walk through.
The Word goes before manifestation.

Psalm 107:20 (ESV) — 20 He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.

God’s Timing: Definitions

So again, there is time and timing for your purpose.
To everything there is a season.
The Hebrew word ‘season’ is the one we want to look at, and that thought here is the Definition of the Day.
The word ‘season’ means appointed time, or hour.
It means a particular or proper time in the future that is specified as the time something will happen.
If you’re walking with God, just know that something will happen.
It may seem to you that it’s out of the blue but it’s not.
As far as God’s purpose, what happens, happens according to plan.
That is if you are honestly walking with Him.
The next word we want to look at is the word ‘purpose.’
The Hebrew word ‘purpose’ in the phrase ‘to everything there’s a season and time to every purpose under heaven’ in the original language means delight, desire, will, something precious, pursuit, ardour, hence affair, or matter.
Now, put God into this definition.
There is a season for God’s godly desire to flow through you.
An hour appointed for the will of God, exists.
It’s like God turns on a water faucet into your spirit.
First, it’s a drip here or there.
He’ll say some things to you out of the blue.
Sometimes it’s so out of the blue that you will discount what you think you heard.
You will say to yourself, ‘I don’t think I heard that right.’
Don’t worry about that stuff.
Just write it down and date it and watch.
The Bible says watch and pray.
Let it lay.
I’m telling you it will all come to pass.
You’re not going to miss it.
Don’t get in a panic.
I mean think about this some more.
God spent an eternity planning all the purposes for all the people on Planet Earth.
Do you think He is going to allow His purpoise to fall because you are not sure you heard Him right?
No, He is going to make the vision plain to you in a way that you can understand it.
Your purpose is precious to God because it affects the precious people that God is trying to reach.
The vision is about others — not just about you.
That purpose or vision has a proper and exact time to it because He is working behind the scenes to get everything lined up for your contribution.
Your contribution matters.
Your assigned area of influence is vital.
God needs it — the body of Christ needs it.
The scripture says there is a season for this activity under heaven.

God’s Timing: Prolonging Your Life For Vision’s Sake

There is a time to be born and a time to die.
Within that span the vision for your life must be set in motion.

Habakkuk 2:3 (KJV 1900) — 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, But at the end it shall speak, and not lie: Though it tarry, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

I say ‘set in motion’ because the vision can carry on after you go to heaven.

Hebrews 11:4 (ESV) — 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

Now, a time to be born and a time to die that doesn’t mean you have a set time to die.
Jack is set to die at 72 — Jill is set to die at 51 — Billy Joe is set to die at 89 — that’s not what this verse means.
Don’t read that into the text.
You see you have to look at verses like this one in Ecclesiates in the context of the entire Word of God.
There are verses in the Bible where God talks about certain things you can do to add time to your life and certain actions, that if you engage in them, will shorten your life.
Let’s look at a few of these.

Psalm 91:16 (ESV) — 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

What does this verse mean?
Look at it close.
What this is verse is saying is that the length of your life is based on your satisfaction.
The Hebrew word ‘satisfy’ means to eat or drink one’s fill.
Man, you had a great meal — you’re feeling really good, really content, really satisfied.
So, if you don’t have that feeling, keep living.
If you are not satisfied, have a little talk with Jesus and bring this verse up to Him.
You see, YOU have something to say about your time on Planet Earth.
It’s not just up to God.
Paul got a hold of this truth — you see it on display in the book of Philippians.

Philippians 1:21–26 (ESV) — 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

“I have a desire to depart.”
What depart means is ‘leave my body,’ die, go to sleep in Jesus, go to heaven — whatever terminology you would like to use.
Paul had a desire to change addresses.
He said dying and going to heaven, departing and being with Christ is far better.
Well, he got that right! — it certainly is.
But, there’s a but — to remain in the flesh is better for you.
What is that but love.
Paul wasn’t selfish — only thinking about himself.
I want to go to heaven — I want to get out of the rotten here and now.
Is suicide selfish — well in some cases it can be.
You see you have a choice — you have a great God.
Notice, Paul didn’t say it was better for him.
Paul said it was better for them.
He already told you what was better for him — leave this earthly body behind and go to Glory.
It’s never about you — it’s about them — about others.
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain.
The Greek, the word ‘convinced’ signifies a boldness and assurance that you possess because you are fully persuaded.
A boldness and assurance because you are fully persuaded has something to do with you staying on Planet Earth.
It’s your decision.
That means in this area, you have authority.
Again, you have to balance this off with the rest of scripture.

Not long after this, while waiting at a train station to leave for Scotland, Smith Wigglesworth received word that his beloved wife, Polly, had collapsed at the Bowland Street Mission from a heart attack. He rushed to her bedside only to discover her spirit had already departed. Smith rebuked death, and she came back! But Polly had to set Smith straight. “Smith, you must let me go, my work on earth is done.” And Smith did so — that’s what love does.

In this illustration, you see the will of both individuals involved.
I’m telling you, you have to something say about your time on Planet Earth.
As I said, the Word of God clearly tells us that there are certain things that we can do that will add years to our life and certain things that we can do that will shorten it.
Here’s one verse of scripture that embodies both concepts in the same verse.

Ephesians 6:2 (ESV) — 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

If you honor your father and mother, you will live long in the land.
If you don’t, well, you can fill in the rest.

Deuteronomy 4:40 (ESV) — 40 Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

The Hebrew word ‘prolong’ means to be long or to lengthen.
So, there is something about keeping the Word of God that will lengthen or prolong your days.
Maybe listening and acting on this Word of God today will help you live a longer life.
Can I tell you have a leverage backed by the authority of heaven if you haven’t fulfilled the vision for your life?
Here’s an example of this.

Isaiah 38:1–9 (ESV) — 1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 and said, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and will defend this city. 7 “This shall be the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do this thing that he has promised: 8 Behold, I will make the shadow cast by the declining sun on the dial of Ahaz turn back ten steps.” So the sun turned back on the dial the ten steps by which it had declined. 9 A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, after he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

The Lord said, “Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover.”
But, Hezekiah recovered and, he lived fifteen more years.
Now, you need to get what the Lord said here.
What He is saying to Hezekiah is that under the current circumstances your will end.
But, because you made an change, a humility adjustment, God said, “I am going to add more time to your life.”
So you see, you don’t have a set time to die.
There is a time to be born and a time to die but that time to die is not a set time.
So, we say that the vision for this class includes an emphasis on divine healing — we also keep saying that the Word of God can be used in your every day life.
So that being said, the Light on Life podcast and the Lighthouse Class are tools that can be incorporated into your desire to live and long and healthy life.
Just do the Word.

God’s Timing and Long Life Scripture List

There are a multitude of verses on long life in the Bible — like around 40 different passages.
Up in the notes for this podcast, I will put a list of them for you.
Genesis 15:15
Exodus 7:7, 20:12, 23:26.
Deuteronomy 4:40, 5:16, 5:33, 6:2, 11:9, 11:21, 17:20, 25:15, 30:20, 32:47.
1 Kings 3:14.
2 Kings 20:6.
Job 5:26.
Psalms 34:12, 41:2, 61:6, 90:10, 91:16, 92:14, 118:17, 128:6.
Proverbs 3:2, 3:16, 4:10, 9:11, 10:27, 28:16.
Isaiah 38:5, 38:16, 65:20, 65:22.
Jeremiah 35:7.
Zechariah 8:4.
Luke 2:26.
Ephesians 6:3.
1 Peter 3:10.
In the future, I will make a scripture list and post it up on the website.
They would join other scripture lists on the site https://emeryhorvath.com which include — healing.
You know there’s ton’s of verses on divine healing.
There’s a scripture list of ‘In Him,’ verses, over one hundred verses on who we are in Christ, in Jesus.
Also, there are scripture lists that cover the Glory of God, and the love of God.
There’s one on ‘Fear Not’ since there are a plethora of verses where God admonishes us not to be fearful.
And lastly, there’s a scripture list for Seeing God and one on the Conscience.
That’s it.
We are out of time today.

Now Father God thank you today for your healing power. May it course through the bodies of your children so that they may fulfill the vision that you have for their lives. I thank you for the great work that you will do in building up the Kingdom via your Holy Spirit in Jesus Name, I pray Amen.

Why God’s Timing Is Right on the Money.
You guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

More of Eight Ways to Fulfill God’s Purpose for Your Life

___________
References:

John Maxwell, “God’s ‘Troublesome’ Timing,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 147. See: Psalms 31:19; Matthew 13:34; Matthew 25:34. ↩

emeryhorvath.com

Equipping people to pursue God's glory

Why God’s Timing Is Right on the Money

Podcast: Light on Life Season Twelve Episode Five

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe to PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the book of First Corinthians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

God’s Timing: the Preciseness of His Creation

God’s Vision Has God’s Timing Attached to It

God’s Timing Means Life Is Not On Your Terms

God’s Timing – God Works Behind the Scenes

God’s Timing: Definitions

God’s Timing: Prolonging Your Life For Vision’s Sake

God’s Timing and Long Life Scripture List

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download |Subscribe to PlayerFM

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

If you would like to know more about growing in faith, see the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

We are currently teaching in the book of First Corinthians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Prayer

God’s Timing: the Preciseness of His Creation

God’s Vision Has God’s Timing Attached to It

God’s Timing Means Life Is Not On Your Terms

God’s Timing – God Works Behind the Scenes

God’s Timing: Definitions

God’s Timing: Prolonging Your Life For Vision’s Sake

God’s Timing and Long Life Scripture List

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