Contrasting God’s Timing and Purpose with Our Frustrations

Daily Devotional – Saturday, April 1, 2023
Because for every matter there is a time and judgment, though the misery of man increases greatly.
Ecclesiastes 8:6 (NKJV)

A fundamental principle of the Bible is that God controls and respects time. At the beginning of creation, He brought days, nights and seasons into operation. Even after destroying the wicked earthlings in Noah’s day, the Almighty promised, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22).

When the Fullness of Time had Come

In addition, God gave prophecies that were time-bound. For example, He gave exact timelines on the rise and fall of kingdoms and kings. Similarly, the Almighty, through His prophets, foretold the exact time and birth of Jesus. Apostle Paul wrote, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman…” (Galatians 4:4).

This principle of God’s timeliness and purposefulness also operates in the daily affairs of human being. King Solomon summarizes it beautifully when he states, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). In essence, God is never too late nor too early. He is always on time.

There is Time and Judgment for Every Matter

Now, if you are a meticulous planner, you want everything to pan out according to your blueprint. Your joy is full when the outcome is in tandem with your ambitions. Conversely, when you fail to achieve your goals, you get upset. Frustration, therefore, is a result of not being in tandem with God’s purposes and timing.

Here is Solomon again: “Because for every matter there is a time and judgment, though the misery of man increases greatly. For he does not know what will happen. So who can tell him when it will occur?” (Ecclesiastes 8:6-7). The Omniscient God knows what is right for us and when you should receive it. Because of our limited knowledge and understanding, we become miserable when our plans fail.

Contrasting God’s Timing and Purpose With Our Frustrations

To avoid frustration, therefore, we must heed David’s counsel, “Commit your way to the LORD. Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalms 37:5). When we ask God to guide us in planning and our plans dovetail into His purpose for us, we will not be frustrated.

If you feel frustrated because of barriers and delays in your plans, ask yourself whether you are working according to God’s timing and purpose for you. Instead of complaining and venting out against God and others, seek to know the will of God for you, obey His voice and your plans will succeed.

Prayer
Omniscient Father, teach me how to plan in a manner that is congruent to Your timing and purpose for me.