Timing Belongs to the LORD God
Sarah reminds us that time is controlled by the LORD God. There is nothing we can do to control the timing of the LORD. “For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.” Genesis 21:2
Sarah wanted to give Abraham a son so the covenant between the LORD God and Abraham would be fulfilled and that Abraham would be the “father of many nations.” Sarah was trying to control her destine as well as that of Abraham. It was not in her timing, nor was it in the timing of Abraham that he should become the “father of many nations”. The timing belongs to the LORD. Timing always belongs to the LORD.
There must have been emptiness in the soul of Sarah, she wanted a child. None of us can stand that feeling of emptiness in our soul. It is like a vacuum in our soul that nothing can fill. Today we can share that feeling of emptiness; that vacuum in our lives that takes many different forms. Sarah could have experienced this not only because she could not have a baby but she must have questioned the love of Abraham when he told her to say she was his sister instead of his wife. That emptiness also could have reared its ugly head when Abraham had a baby with Hagar. Even though this was Sarah’s idea; after all it was her way of controlling the covenant between Abraham and the LORD. It must have hurt when Abraham slept with Hagar. Sarah paid the price for taking the control in her own hands.
It is impossible to fill that vacuum we find in our lives. Sarah gives us the answer how to fill that vacuum. It comes in recognizing that we are not the ones that are in control. The control of our lives comes from timing of the LORD God. We need a relationship with the LORD.
I remember a lecturer from Liberty University who talked about women carrying a “love cup” around with them. They expect their husbands, children, family, friends, and jobs all to fill their “love cup.” It never works because no one can replace the love of the LORD. He is the only one that can fill our “love cup.” Only the LORD can give us that unfailing love that is unbiased and always touchable. We become unreasonable as humans when we expect someone else to provide our every need in the love department. We need to go to the LORD in prayer and let Him know what we think we need, ask Him to what His will is for us, confess our sins and ask Him to help you gain a better relationship with Him. Make it personal share your hurts and concerns and then listen in the quietness of your soul for His response. You will find that the other relationships you have in your life; friends, families, husbands, children, and even jobs will provide the overflow of our “love cup”. Give the control to the LORD and allow Him to work in His time and in His way.
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” (Ephesians 3:17-20)
Sarah had to first believe before she could receive the spiritual strength it was from the intercession of the LORD that allowed Sarah to conceive. The Lord gave Abraham a plan and Sarah had to follow that plan. They left their home, the people they loved, and the familiarity of life to follow that plan. It took faith on her part to accomplish the promise and the covenant that the LORD had for her, Abraham and Isaac.
Yes, Sarah tried to take things in her hands and control the timing of the LORD. This does not say that Sarah was not faithful; it says that she was impatient. When we learn that we cannot thwart the will of the LORD in our lives we will be happier people.
Genesis 17:21 communicates He established His covenant with Isaac, which Sarah would bear unto Abraham at “this set time in the next year.”
Genesis 18:10-14 reveals there is nothing that is too hard for the LORD. It was at the time appointed the LORD would return according to the time of life; when Sarah shall have a son.
Genesis 21:2 expresses “For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.”
All in His timing!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-17 tells us to everything there is a season, there is a time and a purpose under heaven. A season in this verse is a set time or an appointed time. This tells us that everything under heaven is controlled by the LORD God with a set time, or an appointed time.
Just as Sarah discovered there is a time to be born. The covenant that was established was with Isaac, Sarah and Abraham. It did not matter that Sarah conceived in her old age. It was in the time the LORD had chosen. We can also see the control of a time to be born with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elisabeth the cousin of Mary who conceived John the Baptist. Elisabeth was also considered barren. (Luke 1:36).
There is a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. Matthew 13-41-43 is a reminder that in the end of this world the Son of man, Jesus Christ, shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend and which do wickedness or unrighteousness. They shall be cast into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. This is when the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear. It is all in the timing of the LORD God.
There is nothing that is not in the timing of the LORD God. There is a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:3-8
The LORD God has made everything beautiful in His time: also, He has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11. Sarah motivates us to have faith, trust and courage in the LORD God and His love for us. There is nothing we can do to control the timing of the LORD. It takes faith and understanding that time and our lives are under the control of the LORD God.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Timing Belongs to the LORD God:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Feb 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2304,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, February) “Timing Belongs to the LORD God:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2304,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Timing Belongs to the LORD God:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (February), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2304, (accessed).
