Week 2, Day 4

Our eight year old son so badly wants to skip ahead in life and be a man. He stands in front of the mirror holding his chin, slowly turning his head from side to side, in search of stubble. He gallantly enters the room, parading about, when he’s found peach fuzz growing on his arms or legs. Some days, he’ll nonchalantly walk by holding a suitcase while donning a mustache that he scribbled on using my wife’s eyeliner. As I sit drinking my morning coffee, he sits across from me sipping chocolate milk from his coffee mug. He frequently talks of the businesses he’ll someday run, the funny names he’s picked out for his future children, and how he plans on taking care of his mom and me once we become older and feeble. He spends a great deal of time in his young life dreaming, eagerly, of the future.

Sometimes in life, I want to jump ahead, too. Now, I’m not saying I am wishing for more gray in my beard, but sometimes I would just like to reach that next milestone or enter some season that I imagine being better off than where I am now. I want to jump ahead to that promotion, or bypass the more trying, painful times. We want to enjoy the times that are good, and rush through the times that are uncomfortable.

2 Peter 3:8-9 reminds us that God’s timing is very different from ours. This scripture is also very telling of our Father’s patient nature. Almighty God, out of his abundant love for us, chooses to wait, patiently, for us to turn to Him.

Jesus is the perfect example of patience and how to wait on God’s timing. From the start of His ministry, having already known His purpose to be the Savior of the world, He chose to patiently submit Himself to His Father’s timing. Even His earthly mother, knowing that He was the Christ, urged Him to reveal Himself to the others at the wedding feast recorded in John 2:1-11. Yet Jesus chose patience. He chose God’s timing and not His own. Here at the start of His earthy ministry He could have revealed Himself to all and let His fame spread through all Galilee. Yet He chose to quietly perform His first miracle so that His disciples would first believe in Him, just as His Heavenly Father had willed. He was willing to wait.

Friends, what if our son were to skip ahead in life and was born a mature man? He would not know what it’s like to be a little boy. He would have no need for his daddy’s instruction or a mother’s nurturing hand. I’m reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, that there is a season for everything; and in every season, there’s a purpose. Make sure that you’re not jumping ahead of the Lord. Don’t spend your time only dreaming of the future. Stay ever present in His presence, and be patient on His perfect timing as He works out His marvelous plan.

• Read 2 Peter 3:8-9. What do we learn about God’s timing? How do we see God’s patience manifested?

• Read John 2:1-11. Mary, the mother of Jesus, had the very best intentions for Jesus, Yet Jesus knew to wait on the Father, as His time to be revealed had not come. Reflect on a time you jumped ahead of God. What lessons did God teach you through this?