One On One: 100 Days With Jesus--ADVENTSample

The Perfect Moment:  When God Says, "Now"

The world holds its breath this week. These are the days “in-between”—a hinge between the year that will soon end, and the one waiting to start. 

Time is on our minds today—how quickly it passes, how to make the most of it, how not to run out of it before, you know, it’s your time. 

Look closely at the Advent story and you’ll see time tracks between every line. Galatians 4:4 says Jesus came “when time was full”—meaning, “When days and events had run their course and God’s plan reached the precise moment when salvation emerged on the human scene—Jesus arrived in Mary’s womb.” 

Jesus entered time and space at the perfect moment in history. 

We might have picked a later date when conditions were more sanitary or when more people could have heard Jesus firsthand through modern media . . . or when crucifixion was out of style. But according to God’s Word, Jesus was born right on time, in perfect synch with His purposes. God braided one era into the next, weaving people and events together in a beautiful cord. Even the powers of darkness couldn’t hinder God’s plan. 

Think about that as you review your life this past year. God has been at work—behind every scene, shaping every nuance of every event. Even today, things are being crafted to fit together according to His purposes. That is always God’s way (called “sovereignty.”) 

But wait, you say. Something in my life feels overdue. Or sometimes I wonder what’s ahead. "Don’t worry," God says. You can be sure there will yet be that perfect moment when His time is full and His very private, specific plan for your life will be accomplished. He is not slow. He won’t forget. Even your dumb mistakes can’t mess up what He has in mind for you. 

So walk by faith into the new year. Keep following Jesus. Build bumpers in your life to accomplish that one thing. The word is steadfast—keep going in the same direction. And if you need to adjust, now is the perfect time. 

As this season turns, remember that God’s purposes are stirring in our generation, on your street, in your heart. Hold your breath and stay alert. Something’s about to happen, something holy and precious and beyond words is seeking to be born, maybe even in us. Maybe this year. 

                                                          Tomorrow: One on one with Jesus in the new year.