Psalm 69:13, v16-17 – ‘But as for me, my prayer is to You, O LORD, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, answer me with Your saving truth… Answer me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; according to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me, and do not hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly.’ (NASB)
God works all things after the good counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11). No change occurs without His ordinance or consent. If indeed like the hymn says, ‘He doeth all things well’, then we can trust this good, loving (and Sovereign) Father to perfect all that concerns us (Ps. 138:8).
The passage above talks about timing. As the Great Author of time, God is not a stranger to order:
Ecc. 3:1 – ‘There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven’ (NASB)
Gal. 4:4-5 – ‘…But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.’ (NASB)
Rom. 5:6 – ‘…For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.’ (NASB)
Our Lord Jesus Christ came to the earth which He created, at the point of time which He did, because it was the right or ‘appointed’ time. He did all things according to a divine schedule as it were, walking in step with the heavenly calendar, often to the surprise of the people around Him, Jew and Gentile alike. But God had purposed all these things for their appointed time, and He works all things according to His wisdom and a concept of goodness too marvellous for us to comprehend almost all of the time. Rest assured though, it is all on schedule;
All for His glory… All for our good.
We are born in this generation, at this precise point in history, for reasons known to God. No one is a mistake. What you are going through is not a mistake. Our seasons in life are no surprise to the One who ‘changes the times and the seasons’ (Dan. 2:21). Although God is not surprised at whatever it is you’re going through, He still calls and delights in you coming before Him with your requests and supplications.
“We are born in this generation, at this precise point in history, for reasons known to God. No one is a mistake.”
The psalmist in our passage above seeks the LORD, and indeed asks for a speedy response to his affliction, but ultimately rests in the trustworthy attributes of the Sovereign God he serves—His compassion, His lovingkindness, His goodness.
Oh weary soul, won’t you trust in the LORD today? Look to Him, hope in Him, call upon Him; make your requests known unto Him by prayer and supplication (with thanksgiving), but never let yourself believe that God is unaware or delayed in His response to you. He doeth all things well. He doeth all things on time. God is never late for an appointment.
