“Now it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings…” Matthew 26:1

Perfect Timing

The vast scope of God’s purposes from Genesis to Revelation is laid out before us. His purposes are sweeping. They span centuries. Yet in them and through them is a perfect timing, a seamless pace, an impeccable intricacy.

In Matthew 26 Jesus was nearing the cross. His death was imminent. He knew it. He was trying to convey this to His disciples in order to prepare them and in order to protect them from doubt, confusion, and fear. Even in His last days His thoughts were for those He loved. He alone knew and understood that His time was near. He was making ready for the cataclysmic cross.

But none of that would happen before its time. The coming of the Babe of Bethlehem had not come one moment too soon even though God had been silent for 400 years. The crucifixion of the Son of Man would not come one moment too late. Everything Jesus needed to say and do in His brief lifespan would be perfectly completed. Nothing would be left undone. The cross would wait until Jesus had finished all these sayings. Later these sayings would be spoken to others, written on scrolls, meticulously preserved for the ages to come.

We were born for this time and this place. God had us in mind from the beginning. Our lives were laid out before Him. His wisdom and power planned it all out and caused it to work together for our good.

“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, You are my God. My times are in Your hands…” (Psalm 31:14-15).

A recent example to me of God’s perfect timing and intimate knowledge of our days was a hospital visit my husband made to a dying man. As family members waited at the bedside a Scripture came to their minds. Each one had a piece of it, but no one could quote it. When my husband arrived, he asked if he could read some Scripture to them and pray. He opened his Bible and read what God had given him. The jaws of the family dropped as he was reading aloud the very scripture they had wanted to give their father. The timing was perfect.

Wherever you may find yourself this day, you can have confidence that God knows all about it. He was there before you were. He knows the end from the beginning. He has a plan and it is perfect, seamless, and impeccable.

“Father, You know the day of my birth and You know the day of my death. You know the number of my days. My life is in Your hands. I will trust You in Your perfect timing, for You do all things well. Amen.”