Why Your Dream Needs the Right Timing
By Rick Warren
“There is a right time and a right way to do everything.” Ecclesiastes 8:6 (GNT)
When God puts a dream in your heart, you don't necessarily have to act on it right away. The Bible says, “There is a right time and a right way to do everything” (Ecclesiastes 8:6 GNT).
Pitchers understand the importance of timing in baseball. Every pitcher throws the same 5 ¼-ounce ball and stands the same 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate. But the difference between a pro pitcher and an amateur is timing. A pitcher’s timing can make or break them.
Another good example of timing is found in Nehemiah 2. Nehemiah knew timing could make or break his dream to rebuild Jerusalem. He could have made a grand entrance into town with trumpets and flags, announcing the reason for his arrival: “I’m here to save the day!”
Instead, Nehemiah stayed quiet for three days after arriving in Jerusalem. What was he doing those first three days? Since he was a man of prayer, there’s no doubt he was praying. He was also a planner, so he likely spent time watching, observing, listening, and learning.
The best example of timing is seen in the life of Jesus. His timing was perfect. He would often say things like, “It’s not my time yet.” He said this to his mother when she looked to him to do a miracle at a wedding. And he said this to his brothers when they wanted him to show himself to the world through the works he was doing.
And God waited thousands of years for just the right time to send his Son. The Bible says, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:4-5 NLT).
We don’t know why God sent Jesus when he did, but we know it was the right time to do what he wanted to do.
The same is true with the dreams God gives you. Trust in his timing. You may not see or understand his timing right now, but you can trust that his plan is perfect.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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