Right now I am thinking about the hymn that says, "time is filled with swift transition, none on earth unmoved can stand; build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God's unchanging hand."
It seems to me that one thing that is sure is that time will bring about a change. No matter what your current state, you can remain hopeful, because with the passage of time, things will change. Now I know that all change is not for the better, but still, even the worst circumstances can change and improve over time.
What troubles most of us, I think, is that we do not know how long it will take for the change we desire to take place. We watch so many television commercials - beloved "infomercials" that promise instant results - that we think everything should happen as quickly as promised on tv. But we fail to read the fine print on those ads that always states "results not typical."
This is the reality of life. Quick results - getting rich quick, quick weight loss, instant happiness - are not typical. Quick results are the exception, not the rule. The rule is that we have to learn to endure, which implies the passage of time in a situation.
I am instantly reminded of Job. In the middle of his distress he began to think about the end of his life and what was going to happen to him. You should take some time to read the 14th chapter of the Book of Job. In it you will find statements like these: "Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil." (v. 1). "Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass." (v. 5). And then he says, "If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait until my change comes." (v. 14).
Job knew that his deliverance was in the hands of God, and would be worked out in God's time.
In Psalm 90, a psalm attributed to Moses, the writer lets us know that God's time is dramatically different than ours. He writes, "For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night." (v. 4). What seems in our mind as an eternity is merely a drop in the bucket to God.
We have to learn to entrust ourselves to Him in such a way that we can endure the test of time. What does the song say? "Build your hopes on things eternal." This is our mandate in this dispensation, where things are not moving favorably in the economy and the national and political landscape is suspect. We must begin to turn to the Lord with a determination to wait for our change to come.
I want to encourage you to try to see God's perspective because to Him, your years of struggle have only been a moment of time that He is using to refine you and to birth His purposes in you.
The day of the Lord is surely coming. He will avenge you, uplift you, establish you. But in the meantime, He gives us a chance to make sure that we get things right with Him and truly put our faith and trust in Him. But don't take my word for it. Here's an expert on the subject:
"But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:8-9).
Time brings about a change. The Lord will perform His promises to you, but only in His time. Step out of your own timetable and into God's and watch Him move!
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