You Are Here at Just the Right Time

Zechariah and Elizabeth were born at just the right moment in history. They were just where the Lord wanted them to be so He could burst into the human story and use their son, John, to prepare the way for the King of the Jews. It occurred in the fullness of time when world conditions were providentially opportune for the entrance of the gospel (Galatians 4:4).

If God had wanted you to arrive in the days of Herod the Great, He could have done that. Or, in the fifth century, amid the collapsing ruins of the Roman Empire, during the Reformation in the 1500s, or even amid the Roaring Twenties a century ago.

But the Lord, in His sovereign decree and omniscient wisdom, made sure you came into the world at the very moment He needed you. God has appointed you for this time, and He has a plan to use every day of your life to fulfill His goals and achieve His glory.

So take heart: It’s no accident you’re alive today! Our lives are portioned out by our Lord to serve our generation at the pleasure of the Father, and the results will endure until Christ comes again. The Lord’s words to Jeremiah represent His calling of us: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you” (Jeremiah 1:5).

Are you willing to embrace God’s predesigned blueprint for your life? I call it the “cross-examined life”—viewing the significance of our lives through God’s love for us, displayed on the cross. How wonderful to be part of what He did for us there! Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Our response is: “Lord, lead the way!”

His outline for your days may be different than your past anticipations, but God intends for you to be an original. No one like you has ever lived before or will ever live again. And only by stepping into the center of His perfect will can you find the significance, success, and satisfaction needed for a joyful and productive life.

Heavenly Father, thank You for appointing the time and place for me to be born and to become part of the work You are doing in my generation. Amen.