By Pastor Steve Williams
God’s timing can be so unpredictable. We yearn for Him to answer our prayers in our timetable, yet that is not always His way. Today’s two verses highlight this fact from two opposing points of view. In Psalm 22, King David cries out for deliverance. He begs for God to help him, but he has not yet received the relief that his heart so desperately seeks. In John 5, we meet a sick man who has an unexpected miraculous encounter with Jesus. And despite the fact that the timing is all wrong, Jesus chooses to heal him completely.
The man beside the pool of Bethesda has no expectation that this would be the day that he would walk. He has been sick for 38 years. He knows in his head that healing is an option, but when Jesus flat out asks him if he wants to be healed, his mind immediately goes to an excuse as to why it won’t happen. Nevermind that it was the Sabbath and it wouldn’t be legal for Jesus to heal him on that day. Yet that is exactly what Jesus does. He heals him and commands him to carry his mat away, breaking all sorts of traditions in the process.
King David’s prayer in Psalm 22 is heart breaking. He is crying out, his soul yearning for God to move. He lays out many reasons why God should answer his prayer. Yet in the end, David simply lands on his faith that God WILL answer the prayer. We don’t see it happen, but we do see David’s faith in the midst of his uncertainty.
What is going on with God’s timing?
To further complicate the question, we come to John 5:17, where Jesus points out that “My Father is always working, and so am I.” It can be easy to wonder, “If Jesus is always working, why doesn’t help come when I think it should come?” The only answer is that Jesus is working by answering our prayers with an answer of “no” or “not yet”. He has something else in mind.
Let’s be honest, that can be super frustrating. Jesus is working, but His purpose for this moment isn’t to answer our prayers in the way we think they should be answered. He has some other purpose. He’s using this for something else. What? That’s the point.
It’s an invitation to change our prayers from “God, I need you to move now” to “God, show me Your purpose in this situation. Align my heart and my thinking with Your will.”
God is always working. He always has a purpose. He always has an intention. Our part is to align ourselves with His plan, to surrender, and to become more like Him.
Father, I confess that I’ve been frustrated with Your timing. I’ve been focused on my will and my preferences. I know that You are always working. If You are not answering my prayer right now, You have a reason. I surrender my heart and my point of view. Help me embrace Your will by seeking answers to my prayers based on Your way and Your timing. Make me more like Jesus, aligned not with my own preferences but looking to You, following Your steps, and Your heart. I have faith You see me and know my heart. I trust You to answer my prayers in Your timing and in Your way.
Woah!