A Method To God’s Christmas Madness
“But when the right time came, the time God
decided on, He sent His Son, born of a woman, born as a Jew, to buy freedom for
us who were slaves to the law so that He could adopt us as his very own
sons...” (Galatians 4:4-5) TLB
Life is all about timing. Its true is so
many ways. Comedic timing, music
timing, timing patterns in sports, military timing, political timing, trapeze artist’s
timing, and even marriage timing are all part of a right end. Timing is the key in every area. It’s true with God and it’s true with
us. Nothing reminds us of that better
than Christmas.
Christmas shows us that God is always
working a plan. While His promises and prophecies seem
delayed far more than we want them to be, He will always bring them
together. Always. In the Old Testament, God was working from
the beginning. In Genesis, when sin
entered into the world, God had a plan.
In birthing the nation of Israel, God showed His love through
His work through them in fulfilling His plan.
In the New Testament, God entered into the
world. He was working to put everything into place
and then He came into the world as a baby.
His timing was not coincidental…His timing was not random…His timing was
perfect
There is a method and map that God was
always working toward. In Galatians 4:4,5 we read, “But when the right time came, the time God
decided on, He sent His Son, born of a woman, born as a Jew, to buy freedom for
us who were slaves to the law so that He could adopt us as his very own
sons...” God decided when the right time was and He came into the
world.
Jay Kesler, noted author, says, “For the
longest time I didn’t understand the car industry. I had
always thought it worked like this. When
a guy wanted a car, he dropped by the local car dealership, kicked a few tires,
slammed some doors, and fiddled around with radio, hoods, and trunk lids. Then he would rap with salesman, dicker over
prices, choose his favorite color, and place the order. I figured that when headquarters got the
specs, they’d scurry around the shop, finding the right steering wheel, engine,
chrome strips, and hub caps, then make sure all that stuff got stuck on correctly
before it was shipped. You know, kind of
like whipping up a last-minute meal with grub from the kitchen…
But that not the way it is at all. To
my amazement I discovered that a computer card puts into motion dozens of
contacts all over the country. One spot
makes only engines. Another, the glass
and plastic parts. Some other outfit
does the steering wheels, and yet another the carpet and vinyl. As the order is placed, it triggers action in
all these related areas.
And-hopefully-at just the right time, the special things arrive at the
assembly plant where it all comes together- everything from the bumper bolts to
windshield wipers. And within a
relatively short period of time, a shiny new car is punched out, rolled onto a
transport truck, and sent to its proper destination…
What a remarkable arrangement ingenious
Americans have devised! And none of it was even thought of a hundred years ago. Now
then- if man can come up with an organizational plan as complex as all that,
think of how much more efficient God’s arrangement was…over 2000 years
ago. I’m referring to the perfectly
synchronized events surrounding the Savior’s birth. For sure, it was no afterthought. Scripture assures us that…’when the fullness
of the time came, God sent forth His son.’”
God was putting everything into place ahead
of time…then Christ came. Too often, we think of God’s work the way Jay
Kessler did. He puts things together
on a whim. Something He whips up in His
divine kitchen. Something He throws together last minute…not
terribly concerned about the outcome as long as it’s presentable…not worried
about the taste as long as it’s OK. He
carefully organized that first Christmas and is carefully taking the event of
your life and using them. Many times, we
think that God has forgotten us like many people in that day
God knows all the answers to the whens,
wheres and whats of life. The baby would be born in Bethlehem, from a virgin, under taxation,
through the Roman expansion. We could
tell countless more but Paul references how everything came in the “fullness of
time.” It happens in “History” and for
those who are part of “His-story.”
Sergei Nikolaev wrote, “Trust
his timing. Don't put a period where God puts a comma.” While God may delay and detour life through difficulties, He always has
a deliverance out ahead. You can count on it.
Christmas reminds us of that. Its
more about molding our timing around Him rather than the Lord molding His
timing around us. I know that may feel
like madness, but God operates that way sometimes.
Terry Risser
Reflections:
1) What promises has God given you that has yet
to be fulfilled?
2) Take time to pray today for a renewed
confirmation that God is working
Copyright
2014- Terry Risser
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