Any day now.

It’s December already! I hope you have been walking in obedience to the Lord this year as that was our theme and obedience is tied into every single aspect of our faith walk. We saw in the faith series that even the breakthrough we need is sometimes predicated on our obedience to Jesus. Last week, I briefly mentioned God’s timing in our post “Make room”. 

“God’s timing” is a phrase that is thrown around a lot and sometimes we are not really sure what it means. Is it a “someday” this will happen kind of thing or is it a, “maybe it will happen, maybe it won’t” type situation? Well the answer is neither of those two are true. 

The phrase “God’s timing” is usually used in reference to a promise from God. Whenever the Bible refers to God’s timing it usually has something to do with God’s will being made manifest on Earth or a promise coming to pass. So, God’s timing is not flaky. It’s not a maybe situation. It also isn’t a “someday” situation. The word “someday” makes us focus on some time in the distant future. A time that we may or may not see. It’s not tangible.  

I remember a few years ago, I was praying about something I’d been waiting on. I kept getting the sense that it would happen in God’s time. In my mind, God’s timing meant “someday”. But I felt God correcting me and saying that it was not someday, but it would happen sooner than I thought. I got this revelation that God’s timing is not a long way away. To us it may feel like we have waited forever but God’s timing is always perfect. He brings things to us at just the right time. God delivers us at the right time. God never leaves us in a situation one second longer than we need to be there, and He never holds back His promises one second longer than is necessary. 

The fact is God’s timing is not something that was invented to keep us guessing and have the attitude, “We’ll see what happens”. It is something that exists to assist us in getting our hearts right so we can receive the promises of God. God’s timing is for our benefit. As we wait, God is at work in us.  

There are some promises of God that I had to wait on. Whilst I was waiting, it seemed like the end of the world and it felt like a drag. But after I received the promise, I realised that God’s timing was perfect. He was doing a work in me, to enable me to fight the battle I needed to fight to possess the promise He had given me. Any earlier and everything would have fallen apart. I think Derek Prince put it this way, “God is a master chess player”. He knows exactly when to move the pieces, we just need to trust Him. He is lining things up for us as we wait and our role is to get our hearts and lives ready to receive the promise. 

My pastors say this, “Let’s build as though the Lord isn’t coming for another 100years but let’s live as though He is coming today”. No one knows God’s timing except for God (Matthew 24:36). It is up to us however, to live like it will happen today and to maintain our faith as though it could come say 5 years from now. 

We are never responsible for the timing. We are responsible, however, for being ready at a moment’s notice to receive what it is we have been waiting on. If God said today is the day you receive all that you have been praying for, are you ready? Have you made room in your life to receive it? Do you have time for it in your calendar? Have you saved up for it? Whatever it may be, have you done your part to prepare?

 The example that comes to mind is the parable of the 10 maidens in Matthew 25:1-13. The short story is that there were 10 maidens waiting for the Bridegroom (Jesus) who’s ETA had not been disclosed. 5 of the maidens were wise and prepared and they took some extra oil for their lamps. The other 5, did not take any extra oil. The Bridegroom took forever to arrive and by the time He arrived the maidens were asleep and their lamps were out.  

The 5 maidens with the extra oil managed to re-light their lamps and got out to meet the Bridegroom and the other 5 had to go buy oil for their lamps. In the meantime, the 5 wise maidens went to the wedding feast with the Bridegroom and the doors were locked such that the other 5 had no way in. 

So, only God knows the timing of things. However, we are to live and prepare as though it will happen today but we must go beyond that and be like the 5 wise maidens and prepare such that even if it doesn’t happen today, we can keep going until it does happen. We keep building, we keep trusting, we keep praying, we keep believing that God is faithful and His promises over our lives will surely come to pass. It will happen any day now. 

I think the reason God wants us to have the mindset of “any day now” is because faith is for now. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is…” It’s not tomorrow faith. It’s not someday faith. It’s not maybe faith. It is now faith. Any day now it can happen. God’s timing is a mystery to us as we do not know when He will move the next chess piece but it is legitimate and we can trust it. We can trust Him because what He says, He always performs (Numbers 23:19). If He said it, He will do it. Any day now, the promise is coming. 

Love and blessings,

Melissa Tsingano