When the Time is Right

(John 7:25-31)

Our lives and our times are in the hands of God. Many times in the Bible we see the writers and the Lord too speak about time and timing. The hand that guides our lives, that takes from where we are to where we are going is driven by the right timing.

It is the same in witnessing to others. Timing is everything. We do not necessarily know the impact of timing on another person when we speak to them. On any given day they may accept or reject what you may say because it is the wrong message for that particular time.

The recognition of the timing of God can be seen in this scripture as it related to the Lord, and it is a lesson we should learn well.

The Right Time for Everything

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” He continues on to talk about specifics of timing and to give us a clue about the importance of timing.

While we may have no choice over a “…time to be born and a time to die…” we certainly do have choices over other timing matters in our life. Consider, “…a time to weep and a time to laugh. A time to mourn and a time to dance.” (Ecc 3:4) We control when we choose to do these things. A wedding or the birth of a child are joyous occasions so you would be out of place to mourn and weep in sorrow.

It was the same with the coming of the Lord. His first appearance was timed to coincide with prophecies and at the right time to establish the New Covenant so that ALL of mankind could come to God. Prophecies showed clearly that there would be a time when the Gentiles would be able to come to God just as the Jews had. And in Jesus that time came.

Jesus’ Time

Jesus came at the right time to call a people to himself. But he also came to die for our sins and to be resurrected for our justification. In his time he came to teach man all we needed to know to find the pathway to righteousness.

Those who opposed him tried to do away with Jesus, but they were not permitted to until the time was right. They could not put Jesus to death until He had completed all that was spoken of him in the prophecies of old, and he had given all the teachings he was charged with giving to His followers.

We saw instances where, when the authorities tried to seize Jesus he simply hid himself and passed through them and got away. (ref: John 8:59) The reason why he got away in those times is defined here in this section of scripture. It’s all about timing. In verse 30 it shows, “So they sought to arrest him; but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.”

It was not until all had been completed that the authorities through the deceit of Judas were permitted by God to take Jesus and put him to death. That was the appointed time of His death, and the appointed time for the victory over sin and the salvation of His people.

Now is the Time!

Knowing this and understanding that there is a right time for everything, we should consider the timing of our own lives. When should you come to the Lord? When should you seek His ways and learn His truths and understand what is required of you?

The Apostle Paul gives us the answer in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “For he says, “At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Now is the time. Now is when we need to make the decisions to seek the truth. Now is when we must learn His ways and apply His teachings in our life.

Why now? Because tomorrow never comes! Tomorrow will always be tomorrow. You can plan things for tomorrow, but you can only ever DO things in the here and NOW!

This does not mean you should be impulsive. What it means is that you should consider your path, seek your course and then act on it now. If you would seek salvation, now is the time to start. Do you want to change your life for the better? Then the change begins now. Even if it is simply a prayer to the Lord to say, “Help me!” Now is the time to act and to accept His invitation into His kingdom.

(Photo sourced from stock.xchng taken by Daino_16)

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