He 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
I woke up yesterday morning with a phrase ringing in my spirit. It was the title of today’s post, “In the fullness of time”. That phrase is very simple but profound. It is pregnant with meaning. As I meditated on it, so much came to mind and I just thought to share some of it.
When a farmer sows a seed in the soil, he doesn’t expect it to germinate immediately. That would be absurd right? After providing all the right conditions for that seed to germinate, the farmer goes away confident that in the fullness of time, the seed would germinate and give rise to a shoot.
A couple do not expect to have a baby immediately after sexual intercourse. There is a process that follows and if all the natural laws are met, in the fullness of time, which is approximately 9 months later, a baby is born.
A chef does not expect to put a kettle of cold water on the gas or electric stove and have it boiled instantly. The laws of physics demand that a series of things happens with heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation. The water molecules are agitated and energy rises within the kettle. In the fullness of time, the water begins to boil and some of it is turned into steam in the process.
The prophet Habakkuk understood that this concept of time reaching its fullness also applies to spiritual matters just as it does in the natural matters described above. In his book, he wrote:
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
I believe that every promise God has for your life is awaiting its appointed time. The prophet encourages you to wait for it because it will certainly come and will not delay. Although God dwells outside of time, He still relates to us through it because our minds cannot yet fully grasp the concept of eternity.
As I reflected on all of this, I began remembering stories in the scriptures in which the fullness of time played a major role.
Sarah promised a child in the fullness of time: Genesis 18:14 - Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.”
Hannah given a son after several years of barrenness: 1 Samuel 1:19-20 - Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[b] saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
God sends His Son to save the world: Galatians 4:4-5 -
4 But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law,
5 To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to [a]atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God’s sons].
I could go on and on but I will stop there. From the above examples, we can see that God does not do things haphazardly. He is a very ordered God who works with set times and seasons. Many of us know this and yet we get upset with God when He denies us answers to certain prayers simply because we are not in sync with His timing. I can look back on my life and confess that if God had answered certain prayers of mine when I wanted Him to rather than when He actually did, those answered prayers would probably have turned out to be problems for me rather than blessings.
When God says “not yet”, rather than fret and moan about it, we ought to pause and think about the concept of time reaching its fullness with regards to that particular prayer. He sees the end from the beginning and knows what we need and when we need those prayers answered. He is not subject to our diaries and timetables. I often hear people praying things like: “Lord, by the end of this month, grant me this and this”. God is our sovereign King. He is not to be ordered about like a heavenly vending machine. We subject our will to His and wait for His move.
In the fullness of time, provided we are positioned in faith to receive from Him, His word concerning you can never return to Him void.
You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. – Psalm 102:13. When your time is full, have no doubt that God is able to do what He promised. Delay is not denial.
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- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 – A Time and Season (lion2lamb.wordpress.com)
The fullness of time is the best time, not a bit too early and not late. I love the scriptures you gave to illustrate this.
Hi Jennifer. His timing is just so perfect but we struggle to see it that way sometimes. I was blown away by so many biblical examples of this truth when I did a mini study on it. What an awesome God we serve
Such a wonderful truth and such a joy to read this post! Thank you so much for sharing…many, many blessings to you watchman….Robin
Hi Robin! It’s been ages. Hope you’re doing great. It’s really nice to hear from you again. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. It was a real joy reminding myself of the truth of God’s faithfulness as I wrote the post. Thanks again Robin. God bless
Just what I needed to be reminded of and meditate on today, Chidi! Delay is not denial. God’s timing is perfect. His will WILL be done! Thank you, my friend. God bless you!
God bless you too Natalie! Delay certainly isn’t denial. What He promised you will certainly come to pass at its appointed time. No doubting about it Natalie. I pray He will give you the grace to continue waiting on Him for whatever it is He has caused you to hope for. His word can never return to Him void
Thank you, Chidi. Yes, Lord, please grant me the grace to be patient and stand firm on you! I know you are faithful! I know your word is true!!
Father grant Natalie the grace to continue to wait patiently on You. You are not a man that You should lie or a Son of Man that You should repent. If You have said it, we know that You will watch over Your word to perform it because Your word can never return to You void. It will accomplish what You sent it forth to accomplish in Natalie’s life. The set time to favour her has come Lord.
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Hi Watchman, what you shared is very True , the Scriptures tell us there is a time for everything under the sun, in the Old testament those who believed in God didn’t have the Holy Spirit , Pentecost had not come although The Holy Spirit worked in their lives, we see this with King Saul who prophesied and others like Moses and Daniel and Samson and the Old Testament Prophets etc but He was not indwelling, so they did not know God like we do today (see below ) and they only had the promise of Salvation in Christ Jesus they still had to have animal sacrifice for forgiveness.
Today we have access to all God has promised but sadly many ignore what was part of the free Gift of Salvation and they live in defeat and denial claiming they are only human and can’t be any other way, this is not what God tells us when we are Born again of His seed. Jesus said you don’t have because you don’t ask or you ask according to the flesh, when we seek God in prayer it is to be empowered by The Spirit and based on God’s Truth not worldly understanding and we must believe we receive it like the gift of wisdom, we are not to doubt.
1 Corinthians 2:9-16 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that Love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with Spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are Spiritually discerned. But he that is Spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the Mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? but we have the Mind of Christ.
Christian Love from both of us – Anne
Hi Anne. Thanks so much for always sharing deep lessons with us. I particularly enjoyed the reference from 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 that you shared. You said: “Today we have access to all God has promised but sadly many ignore what was part of the free Gift of Salvation and they live in defeat and denial claiming they are only human and can’t be any other way, this is not what God tells us when we are Born again of His seed”. I couldn’t agree with you more Anne. I think its a shame that humanity is in this sorry state when we have the fullness of God in the Person of the Holy Spirit waiting to fill us up and turn us into agents of transformation. Thanks again Anne