Timing

My time will come.

There will be a day when my struggle with sin maybe isn't over, but is easier. When temptation hardly tempts. When my devotion to God is unwavering. But not yet.

When? Only God knows; what I do know is there is pain yet to come. In 1 Peter 5:10, Peter writes, "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

After I have suffered a little while, God's going to make me strong and steadfast. That doesn't sound so bad, except for one thing: I'm not given a good unit of measure for my allotted time of suffering. What's "a little while" to me can seem like a long time to my grandkids; for God, who exists outside of time, I suspect the question is much more complicated than how many minutes or hours or days.

What I do know is that I will suffer the exact right amount. God's timing is perfect; He won't quit before I'm done, but He won't prolong things one second beyond what's necessary for my spiritual development. Not knowing is probably part of the spiritual maturation process; you need faith if you can't see what's coming or even know if it's good or bad.

It's a good thing I don't control the timing. I'm convinced that not only do I learn quicker than everyone else, but also that I don't need to be taught as many things. I'd find a shortcut, for sure, and would only hurt myself.

 Maybe that's why Peter follows with verse 11: "To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."