Is this thing working?

Did it sound and I did not hear it?

Has something malfunctioned?

Thus far, the alarm has never failed to work. I have never walked an extra hour by accident. The device has never failed to perform as it is designed to do. Yet, I still have a feeling of distrust in the clock.

The same thing happens as I walk through life, trying to live on God's time-table.

I have read the instructions from His word about trusting Him. I am listening to God, praying for His will to be done. I believe that He is working even though I cannot see it. I know that the Father is in charge. I know that nothing will happen that escapes His view. I know that He cares for me. I know that the Lord has always dealt, and will always deal, with me according to His justice and goodness. However, there are still times when I have difficulty trusting His timing.

I have discovered three realities about trusting His timing.

I have learned that His timing is always right!

First, trusting His timing is sometimes hard. There are times when I eagerly lay my cares down, but then I decide not to wait for God to work and pick them back up again. There are other times when my concerns must be ripped from my hands. My doubts and fears take over: What if He does not listen? What if He hears the wrong thing? What if He chooses to act in a way that I do not like? Or worse, what if He chooses not to act at all? I have swallowed hard when He responded with "No," and I have laid awake at night wrestling with His answers that appear to be, "Not now."

Second, trusting His timing is sometimes easy. There are times when waiting for God to work His plan is easy. Laying my concerns at the feet of the Lord and leaving them there comes naturally. I have experienced answered prayer soon after making the request. I receive his "Yes" with joy and gratitude. I receive His "No" with patience and trust.

Third, whether easy or difficult: I have learned over life and from His word, that the Father's timing is always right.

Solomon said it this way:

He [God] has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV).

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John & Stasi Eldredge Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, passionate lover, or capable home manager. What Wild at Heart did for men, this book can do for women.

Tom Norvell is the author of "A Norvell Note." He ministers at the East Brainerd Church of Christ in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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