When the Time Is Right

Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, was in trouble. There was a force coming after him that was far larger than his armies were. In 2 Chronicles 20 we find his powerful story as he stood with his family and children, praying, "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You" (verse 12).

I love that scene. Humanly speaking, it is a picture of weakness. King Jehoshaphat was saying, in effect, "Lord, here we are. We have the kids. We have an army coming toward us. What am I going to do here? Our eyes are on You." That is a good thing to pray. God answered Jehoshaphat’s prayer, intervened, and rescued them.

In the New Testament we read of a time when there was a storm at sea, and the disciples were calling out to God for help. Jesus finally showed up, walking toward them on the water. He had arrived during the fourth watch of the night, which is the last part of the night right before the sun begins to rise. Technically, it’s the morning, but it still feels like it’s night.

This means the disciples had been toiling at sea for hours, trying to get through that storm, and Jesus came along at the last possible moment. The point is that He did come to them. And He will do the same for you and me. He always will—when the time is right. We need to just trust Him.

Remember this: He loves us with an everlasting love. That love is not fickle. That love doesn’t change. That love is persistent. That love is consistent. We are loved by God.