Do you ever feel that God is taking far too long to answer your prayers? Or maybe overwhelmed with trying to work out the timings of demanding situations?
I was struck today by David’s simple statement in Psalm31:15 My times are in your hands. He is resting his life with all its concerns in God, knowing that every detail is known to him and he alone can deliver David from his enemies and their every effort to cut his life short.
My times are in your hands… Do I really believe that? It strikes me that if I live with this truth as a foundation stone in my heart, I can live each day from a deep well of peace and heart rest. Why be striving and anxious when every detail of my life is held by the one who loves me unconditionally?
Yesterday I had a wonderful glimpse of what it means in every day life that our times are in God’s hands. Marilyn and I were returning home after being away separately, me with my family and Marilyn with friends. We hoped to meet at a big London station to get our final train home together, but we’d had a bit of a mix up about the times of our journeys prior to meeting, so there was no guarantee we would be on the platform at the same time. I arrived at the station with a good few minutes to spare and having gone through the barrier, made my way to the lift for our platform. The lifts there open both sides and as I stepped in, I was astounded to see Marilyn and her guide dog Arlo entering the opposite side together with the Disabled Assistance man. We burst out laughing and exclaiming with Arlo becoming very excited too! After all our uncertainty, it seemed incredible timing. Marilyn also shared how her suitcase had been left on the platform when she’d got off the earlier train. The Disabled Assistance had whisked her away to get the next train without picking it up. There was a panic while they rushed back and found the guard was just about to take it to Lost Property. They got there just in time.
Later when we arrived home, our grocery shop delivery arrived literally as we walked in the front door. It was early and we would have missed it if we’d arrived just a minute later. Our times were in God’s hands, over and over again.
In Psalm 139 David worships God’s knowledge of him, that even when he sits or stands God knows and cares. David rejoices that even our thoughts are known by him and what we are going to say before we’ve said it. This isn’t a scary ‘big brother’ controlling kind of knowledge but something through which the Lord wants to give us such a deep sense of security and rest. He will bring beauty out of every situation as we open our hearts to him, showing us glimpses of his goodness and faithfulness every day. Little instances like these, being his gift to lift our hearts in thankfulness and joy.
We find a wonderful Biblical example of our lives being in God’s hands, in John 4 when Jesus waits at the well of Samaria while his disciples go to buy food. It’s just at that moment that the broken Samaritan woman is making her way to the well, seeking to draw her water when no one else is around. Her life is transformed by her ensuing encounter with Jesus. Even though she was living a life of sin, her times were still in God’s hands. How much more so for all of us who are seeking to live our lives for him?
I pray that today, if you are struggling or overwhelmed that you will experience the deep heart peace of knowing your times are in God’s hands. May your eyes be opened to the wonderful ways he surprises you as he brings amazing things to pass at ‘just the right time.’ May there be daily divine encounters that bring you joy and strengthen your faith in his friendship and love. Amen.
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