What does it mean to wait on God’s timing?

3


Waiting on God’s Timing


In the mid-1980s, I worked as vice principal of a private Christian day school in Rhode Island. When I was hired, I was asked if I wanted to receive my pay over a 12-month or 10-month period. I chose the 12-month period. As the end of the school year approached in June, I secured a job driving a camp bus for a YMCA in Woonsocket, RI, for the summer.


During the last week, the head pastor of the day school called me into his office and let me know that my financial situation had changed. He said that I had to work for the school-related church over the summer if I wanted to be rehired. My reply was whether I chose to receive compensation over a 12 or 10-month period, the overall money received was the same. The pastor acknowledged this fact but said that this was the new condition for employment. Either take it or leave it.


I loved this job. I was able to oversee a Christian school with a Christian curriculum and start out each morning with a brief message and prayer. However, I considered this a breach of promise. If I consented, what else might befall me in the future? With that said, I responded that I wouldn’t accept the change. I thanked him for the opportunity given to me to work at this place, and so we parted ways. By the way, I did receive the remaining monies owed to me, but I had no teaching job waiting for me in the upcoming school year.


What I decided to do next was twofold. First, I prayed to God that he’d open a door for employment. Second, I sent out résumés to most of the public high schools in Rhode Island seeking a position as a high school math teacher, having previously earned a required Bachelor of Science degree from a local four-year state college. Over the summer, I received only a couple of offers from private schools. I didn’t respond to any of them as I wanted to work in a public school system that would provide a better financial situation.


As the summer season was drawing to a close, it appeared that my occupation as a high school math teacher would remain unfulfilled. All of a sudden, something unexpected happened. With one week remaining before Labor Day, I received a phone call from a public K-12 school on Block Island, RI.


The Superintendent told me that they had posted their job vacancy for a high school math teacher for one week in the state’s main newspaper, and surprisingly, no one applied. I asked her how she obtained my name and phone number because I hadn’t sent a résumé to the Block Island School. She told me that she called a fellow superintendent from East Greenwich High School, asking him if he knew of anyone who was certified to teach secondary mathematics. He replied that he acquired through the mail a résumé from some guy (me) in Johnston, RI, and proceeded to give her my name and phone number.


To make a long story short, I was hired to teach secondary mathematics at this school. After twenty-five years of service, I’ll be retiring in June 2011. Well, what do you know? God answered my prayer in His time and way. God did his part in opening a door, and I did my part in contacting many schools. Thank you, God!


I’d like to leave you with another example of God coming through for someone whom He had promised something. Let’s find out what this story is about. Please turn in your Bible to the Book of Genesis.


Suggested Reading: Genesis 12:1-4; 15:1-4; 17:1-19; 18:1-19; 21:1-7


Genesis 12:1-2 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:


God spoke to Abram and said that he’d make a covenant with him and his descendants. This agreement alleged that he’d become the father of many nations and that his descendants would be given all of the land of Canaan for an inheritance.


Genesis 17:17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?


Furthermore, the Lord made known to him that his wife, who was ninety years old, would bear him a son whose name would be Isaac. When he heard this, he laughed as she was past childbearing age.


Genesis 21:2-3 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.


Time passed, not a week, month, or year, but twenty-five years, and, finally, the promised child would be born. Sometimes, our prayers are answered almost immediately; at other times, in the distant future, or not in the way we expected. Our part is to remain faithful to the request, reflect on God’s Word on this behalf, and continue to grow spiritually. Here’s a great verse on this account to memorize and reflect upon.


Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.


This conveys to us that we should be careful (anxious) for nothing (about the things of the present life), but in every thing by prayer (in approaching God) and supplication (requesting an answer to a specific need9) with thanksgiving (an attitude arising from a remembrance of God’s goodness in the past and a realization of his blessings in the present10) let your requests (definite requests) be made known unto God.





What we’ll discuss next is how we can develop spiritual self-esteem.





Endnotes


9The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament.


10UBS New Testament Handbook Series Pc Study Bible version 5, 2005. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 24 November 2023


˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.