He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for a person than to be happy and do good while alive. That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. ~Ecclesiastes 3:11-14
All creatures look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up. When You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
~Psalm 104:27-28
(What better gift than Christ Himself)
When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. ~Galatians 4:4-5
The story is told of a seasoned monk who took a stroll one day with one of the novices in the monastery garden. The novice poured out his heart to his elder, expressing his impatience with his lack of growth in the short time he had been there. He was wrestling with his faith and his calling, wondering if God had really called him at all, since he was not experiencing God answering his prayers as quickly as his heart desired.
As he talked and lamented, they happened to be passing some rose bushes that were just budding. The monk stopped beside one of the bushes and pointed at one of the rosebuds. He gently instructed the novice, “Force this bud open so that it will be in full bloom.” At first, the novice objected, but at the monk’s persistence, the novice took the rosebud in hand. He gently began working at the outer petals, trying to force it open.
As he continued to work, the result was not a rose in bloom, but a destroyed bud, with immature petals littering the ground.” The novice was distraught at the mess he had made. The destroyed rosebud is a picture of the damage that can be done when we give in to our impatience and not allow for time to work things out as God ordains. “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Patience is another one of those fruits of the Spirit. Like all of the other fruits, it can be a hard fruit to mature in our lives. It means patiently enduring the walk set before us, not running ahead, or giving up. He has blessed us with a life that only we can live. He has given us tasks that are fitted for us. He has given us a time limit that only he knows. He enjoys patiently watching us fulfill His purposes for us.
“I know that there is nothing better for a person than to be happy and do good while alive. That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.” His heart for us is that we will be content in the tasks He has set before us. Then we can appreciate His gift as we patiently allow it to come into bloom in its time.
“I know that everything God does will endure forever. Nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.” Eternity, the big picture, is His responsibility not ours. He has made us aware of the bigger picture, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” But to understand or carry on that burden is beyond our comprehension, “Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
He keeps track of the time. “All creatures look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up. When You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.” It is interesting to contrast our impatience with how animals receive from the Lord. Jesus makes similar comparisons when he talks about people compared with birds and flowers. All creation is patient with God’s timing except we who were created in His image!
True, they have no sense of history as we do, nor any comprehension of a future. Yet, by holding up creation as a model for us to emulate, there is something we can learn. What if our understanding of time is as limited compared to God’s understanding, as the rest of creation’s understanding is limited compared to our understanding? Just as the rest of creation does not know as much as it could, and chooses to trust, so, we too do not know as much as our creator knows.
So, rather than run ahead, or try to control the past or future by taking matters into our own hands, we too are meant to sit back and trust that He will make all things beautiful in His time, not ours. However, we are not totally passive in our patient waiting. We are expected to do nothing more, but also nothing less, than what we can
Do you remember those old film strips that we used to watch in school, years ago? The strip was a series of pictures on a rolled up strip of film that passed through a projector that showed only one picture at a time projected onto the screen, at the front of the classroom. Along with the film strip, there was usually a recording of someone reading a script. There would be a musical note or a sound at the appropriate time signaling to the person running the projector to advance to the next picture.
Time passes slowly for us. Each day is like one picture on the film strip. Or each person’s whole life might be portrayed in just one, or maybe two consecutive pictures on the film strip. The pictures are all related and connected because they tell a story, or convey a coherent lesson, but the pictures are separated, allowing focus on only one picture at a time.
Now, when the film strip is out of the machine, it is possible to hold both ends of the strip and view all the pictures at once. God is outside of time, in eternity, holding on to both ends of the film strip He has created. He can see all the pictures at once and comprehend everything. He knows what goes where and when it should appear. “When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
Before Christ, many were impatient for Messiah to appear. In their impatience, some men came on the scene claiming that they were the promised one, and some believed them. But they were not the true Messiah. So, instead, their actions had the same kind of result as trying to force a rose to bloom that was not yet ready. Seeing the whole story at once, Jesus appeared at just the right moment in the story, as God had planned, to redeem the story for His glory.
The story is not yet over. God has the timing under control. He knows where and when Messiah will appear again. That has already been determined by His story. We are stuck in a picture on the film strip, for now, patiently enduring the narration. But when we are released from the story in time, we will be able to step out and look back at the entire film strip that our heavenly Father is holding up, because we will be with Him in eternity. We will behold His amazing story, in its entirety. We will be amazed at the glory and wonder that we will behold. “He makes all things beautiful in its time.”
Then too, we will see with full understanding how our part, our talents, our gifts, our task fit into the picture of His entire story. We will understand then what we may not now. “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then, we shall see face to face.” (1 Cor. 13:12) That is why our obedience, patience and trust are so important. We are adding details to His story, in our picture on the film strip that He is holding, that is the amazing story of His unconditional love and patience with us.
The world, that walks by sight misses it, “None of the rulers of this age understand it. If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him”—but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” (1 Cor. 2:8-10) It will be pretty amazing and worth waiting for.
Prayer: Oh, Father forgive me for any impatience in me that still wants everything now! I do trust You and I know You will make all things right at the right time. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: Show Me Your Glory
All creatures look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up. When You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
~Psalm 104:27-28
(What better gift than Christ Himself)
When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. ~Galatians 4:4-5
The story is told of a seasoned monk who took a stroll one day with one of the novices in the monastery garden. The novice poured out his heart to his elder, expressing his impatience with his lack of growth in the short time he had been there. He was wrestling with his faith and his calling, wondering if God had really called him at all, since he was not experiencing God answering his prayers as quickly as his heart desired.
As he talked and lamented, they happened to be passing some rose bushes that were just budding. The monk stopped beside one of the bushes and pointed at one of the rosebuds. He gently instructed the novice, “Force this bud open so that it will be in full bloom.” At first, the novice objected, but at the monk’s persistence, the novice took the rosebud in hand. He gently began working at the outer petals, trying to force it open.
As he continued to work, the result was not a rose in bloom, but a destroyed bud, with immature petals littering the ground.” The novice was distraught at the mess he had made. The destroyed rosebud is a picture of the damage that can be done when we give in to our impatience and not allow for time to work things out as God ordains. “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Patience is another one of those fruits of the Spirit. Like all of the other fruits, it can be a hard fruit to mature in our lives. It means patiently enduring the walk set before us, not running ahead, or giving up. He has blessed us with a life that only we can live. He has given us tasks that are fitted for us. He has given us a time limit that only he knows. He enjoys patiently watching us fulfill His purposes for us.
“I know that there is nothing better for a person than to be happy and do good while alive. That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.” His heart for us is that we will be content in the tasks He has set before us. Then we can appreciate His gift as we patiently allow it to come into bloom in its time.
“I know that everything God does will endure forever. Nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.” Eternity, the big picture, is His responsibility not ours. He has made us aware of the bigger picture, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” But to understand or carry on that burden is beyond our comprehension, “Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
He keeps track of the time. “All creatures look to You to give them their food at the proper time. When You give it to them, they gather it up. When You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.” It is interesting to contrast our impatience with how animals receive from the Lord. Jesus makes similar comparisons when he talks about people compared with birds and flowers. All creation is patient with God’s timing except we who were created in His image!
True, they have no sense of history as we do, nor any comprehension of a future. Yet, by holding up creation as a model for us to emulate, there is something we can learn. What if our understanding of time is as limited compared to God’s understanding, as the rest of creation’s understanding is limited compared to our understanding? Just as the rest of creation does not know as much as it could, and chooses to trust, so, we too do not know as much as our creator knows.
So, rather than run ahead, or try to control the past or future by taking matters into our own hands, we too are meant to sit back and trust that He will make all things beautiful in His time, not ours. However, we are not totally passive in our patient waiting. We are expected to do nothing more, but also nothing less, than what we can
Do you remember those old film strips that we used to watch in school, years ago? The strip was a series of pictures on a rolled up strip of film that passed through a projector that showed only one picture at a time projected onto the screen, at the front of the classroom. Along with the film strip, there was usually a recording of someone reading a script. There would be a musical note or a sound at the appropriate time signaling to the person running the projector to advance to the next picture.
Time passes slowly for us. Each day is like one picture on the film strip. Or each person’s whole life might be portrayed in just one, or maybe two consecutive pictures on the film strip. The pictures are all related and connected because they tell a story, or convey a coherent lesson, but the pictures are separated, allowing focus on only one picture at a time.
Now, when the film strip is out of the machine, it is possible to hold both ends of the strip and view all the pictures at once. God is outside of time, in eternity, holding on to both ends of the film strip He has created. He can see all the pictures at once and comprehend everything. He knows what goes where and when it should appear. “When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
Before Christ, many were impatient for Messiah to appear. In their impatience, some men came on the scene claiming that they were the promised one, and some believed them. But they were not the true Messiah. So, instead, their actions had the same kind of result as trying to force a rose to bloom that was not yet ready. Seeing the whole story at once, Jesus appeared at just the right moment in the story, as God had planned, to redeem the story for His glory.
The story is not yet over. God has the timing under control. He knows where and when Messiah will appear again. That has already been determined by His story. We are stuck in a picture on the film strip, for now, patiently enduring the narration. But when we are released from the story in time, we will be able to step out and look back at the entire film strip that our heavenly Father is holding up, because we will be with Him in eternity. We will behold His amazing story, in its entirety. We will be amazed at the glory and wonder that we will behold. “He makes all things beautiful in its time.”
Then too, we will see with full understanding how our part, our talents, our gifts, our task fit into the picture of His entire story. We will understand then what we may not now. “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then, we shall see face to face.” (1 Cor. 13:12) That is why our obedience, patience and trust are so important. We are adding details to His story, in our picture on the film strip that He is holding, that is the amazing story of His unconditional love and patience with us.
The world, that walks by sight misses it, “None of the rulers of this age understand it. If they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him”—but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” (1 Cor. 2:8-10) It will be pretty amazing and worth waiting for.
Prayer: Oh, Father forgive me for any impatience in me that still wants everything now! I do trust You and I know You will make all things right at the right time. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: Show Me Your Glory
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