THE RIGHT TIME (Isaiah 60:19-22)

Last Tuesday, the nation solemnly remembered the worst terrorist attack in the history of the United States, known to all simply as 9/11. On that infamous Tuesday, 2,996 people ranging from age 2½ to 85 years old lost their lives. It is fair to say that most, if not all, of us, remember where we were when news of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center began to spread.

For me, I was in the office of the South Orange Vailsburg United Methodist Church preparing the bulletin for the coming Sunday worship service. South Orange Vailsburg is where I did my required Supervised Ministry training under Rev. Molege Desir. By rules, I could not do it at St. Mark’s, my home church.

Within hours, and extending for days after 9/11, hundreds of stories began to circulate about people who, for one reason or another, missed their train, missed their bus, were caught in traffic, had to take the day off, etc..…and thus, they were not at, or near, the World Trade Center as they would normally be at the time when the attack occurred. Their lives were, therefore, spared through the inconvenience they experienced on that day.

I remembered the story of a single mother who worked at a restaurant in the WTC lobby. On the tragic day, she had to take off so that she could meet with the Principal of her son’s school about his bad behavior and failing grades. She was doubly upset: having to use one of her rare personal days and facing the Principal. They had spoken on the phone on many occasions about her son and the possibility of him being put out of the school.
In the scripture listed above, the prophet Isaiah wrote in verse 22:
“WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, I THE LORD, WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.”

What is the “IT” that the Lord will make happen “WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT”? What is your IT?

In today’s scripture, the IT refers to the promises of God that the Israelites long for. They are learning here that they must patiently wait for God’s timing. He is in control of history and he weaves all our lives into his plan.

What is the IT that you are waiting for God to make happen for you? How long have you been waiting? Have you ever wondered if IT will ever happen? Are you at the point of giving up? Have you ever questioned God’s timing or action? Have you ever thought that the flat tire you got, or the traffic jam you encountered could well be the work of God to save your life like the many people who did not make it on time to work at the WTC on 9/11?

Every time you feel like asking God why or why not, I invite you to reflect on Isaiah 60:22. “When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” Whatever the IT is, just trust God’s timing.

Let Us Pray. Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent God, with a grateful heart and a humble spirit, I come to you today to say thank you for all that you have done for me in your own time, even if I do not understand why. Help me O Lord, to learn to wait on You, the One who hold the past, the present, and the future in your hands.Help me O Lord to understand that
 your time is always right, and to trust that You have the best plans for me, plans not to harm me, but to give me hope and a future. In Jesus name I pray. Amen and Amen.

Written by Rev. Franck Aquilh