Time Will Tell
“Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11, ESV)!
We have all heard and used that statement many times during our lifetime but have you ever really thought about what it means?
For the parents of a drug addicted teenage son who have dropped him off at rehab for the 3rd time, this comes as a hopeful yet doubtful statement.
For the abused wife who suffers at the hands of her alcoholic husband; he says he is sorry and promises never to hurt her again. This statement leaves a dark shadow in her mind.
For the husband whose wife has been unfaithful and now loudly proclaims her loyalty to him; this statement holds little comfort.
For the politically minded voters who wonder what is going to happen next, this statement does not bring assurance of justice.
For the young woman who wanted to keep her boyfriend at the cost of losing her purity, waves of remorse and anxiety run rampant in this statement.
Yes, friends, it is a statement of distrust and attached to it are all kinds of negative thoughts and emotions. While we want to believe that everything will turn out for the best, there is that gnawing, gripping, gut-wrenching feeling that it probably won’t. We want to believe but prior behaviors and memories scream at us, “BEWARE!”
Time will tell does not work in all situations! Between the event and outcome, there is usually a period of time. Sometimes it can be short and sometimes it takes years. The question is this: What are you doing in between? If you are looking for monsters behind every bush and tree, you will probably find some. If you trust in God for His perfect outcome, the monsters will get smaller and finally disappear.
That statement is filled with distrust! We either trust our Heavenly Father or we don’t. God will not be rushed. He has a plan and all we need to know is that it is the best, the greatest and the most loving strategy. It may take years for it to come to fruition, and what we do in the meantime is sing praises, trust and thank Him for what He is going to do. It may not turn out anything like you envisioned but keep on being grateful…sight unseen. Who knows, it could be better than you ever imagined.
Heavenly Father, teach me to trust Your timing. AMEN.