DAY 4 - God’s Timing Always Involves a Plan of Action

TODAY'S FOCUS: God sets up his entire plan in the context of time. We can only see one step at a time.

In 1985, the Coca-Cola Company attempted to change the formula of its classic soft drink.

“New Coke” was supposed to replace the classic flavor and help the company overcome challenges from rival drinks like Pepsi. The company claimed they had done extensive research and that people wanted this new version.

The intense public outcry quickly proved they were mistaken. Coca-Cola had committed one of the biggest marketing blunders of all time: taking a staple of American culture and tossing it aside in hopes of being "cool."

In fairness, the folks at Coca-Cola quickly realized their major mistake. They quickly switched the recipe back to its original flavor, and soft drink enthusiasts everywhere breathed a sigh of relief.

The folly of this company’s plan to fix something that they thought needed fixing is a perfect example of how we often try to overstep God’s timing with our own plans.

Like those Cola-Cola executives, we tend to dismiss the tried-and-true principles that we’ve been given and, instead, come up with our own plans that promise quicker results, more excitement, or greater reward.

Until it becomes painfully obvious that new does not always mean better.

The fact is, God’s timing always involves a clear plan, just not one that we can detect at every step.

God’s timing involves every part of all the plans He has made. There is not one factor or element left out, even when we think He missed something.

Abraham and Sarah found this out the hard way when they made a “New Coke” decision and tried to improve on God’s plan.

Their impatience created an entirely new generational problem that could have been avoided.

So, our prayer when it comes to making a choice of timing should be, “Lord, how would you have me participate in the plans that you are making?”

The scriptures are full of moments where God’s plan was made evident in the timing in which He fashioned it.

This doesn’t mean we become robotic cogs in the wheels of God’s plans.

Instead, we can become active agents in the will of God and play key roles in the ways that God is revealing His plans.

That includes the timing in which we make our decisions.

By keeping God’s desires first and foremost in our minds and seeking His will, we set ourselves up to enjoy the powerful and potent rewards of being in the right place, at the right time.

We've come a long way in understanding how God views time, but there's one more important topic to tackle.

What is the payoff of syncing up with God's schedule? We'll explore that as we conclude this study.

APPLICATION FOR TODAY

Instead of praying only for God to meet your needs, ask Him to help you see how every decision, action, and even apparent delay is actually working in your favor and in His divine plan.

Then open yourself up to participate in His plan with trust and acceptance of His ultimate will.