As we know time is constant. Thousands of years ago sixty seconds made a minute and today sixty seconds still make a minute, sixty minutes make an hour and so on you get my drift.
But what about our perception of time, how do we see time?
Take 6 years old Johnny for instance on Saturday his mum told him to go to his room and spend an hour on his school work. He was to do his homework and then spend some time going over the timetables he was learning and the other things he’d done in school that week. Johnny’s shoulders drooped as he obediently put aside the video game he was playing and went to his room. Fifteen minutes later his mum hearing him on the stairs said “Johnny are you having a problem with the timetables?”
“I’m done”, Johnny replied.
Smiling his mum said, “Johnny you’ve only been up there fifteen minutes, you’ve still got forty-five minutes to go”. Johnny stared incredulously at the wall clock in the passage as he went back to his room. Forty-five minutes sounded like an awful long time.
On Sunday Johnny and his mum went to Aunt Gloria’s house, it was his cousin Anna’s birthday and he was looking forward to playing with her and her younger brother Ben. As they parked outside Johnny’s mum turned to him and said, “Johnny, I don’t want you throwing any tantrums when it’s time for us to go. You’ll have two hours to play with your cousins and then we’ll have to head home as I’ve a load of things I need to sort out.” Johnny smiled as he nodded several times to show he was fine with the deal. One whole hour times two, sounded like ample time.
Two hours and twenty minutes later Johnny’s mum called out, “Johnny, time to go”. Johnny was sure he wasn’t the one being called; they couldn’t have even been there up to an hour he reasoned. He continued the game he was playing with Ben and he was beating him at it too.
Johnny’s mum stood up and went to where he was, “we have to go Johnny”, she said.
“But you said two hours, it’s not fair”, Johnny whined.
Looking at her watch she replied, “It’s now exactly two hours and thirty-three minutes; now get your shoes on cause we’re leaving”.
In utter disbelief Johnny put his shoes on, now he knew for a fact his mother’s wristwatch loved to run ahead of everyone while the wall clock at home tended to drag its feet like his grandfather 🙂
When we pray we would very much like it if our prayers could be answered the minute we say, amen. Unfortunately majority of the time that isn’t what happens.
Our prayers are like seeds we plant them in the field of our faith and water them with the Word of God. And like seeds of all types and shapes they need time to germinate. Beans are said to be one of the quickest vegetables to grow yet even they need 8-10 days to germinate.
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Recently the ordeal of the 200+ school girls from Chibok in Nigeria passed the 100 days mark. As I took a moment to offer a prayer on their behalf I thought of the awesomeness of our God. I thought of the fact that He could have caused their return many days ago, in fact had He been so inclined He wouldn’t have allowed them to be kidnapped at all; afterall they are secondary school girls, young and impressionable. But He knows best and He has a plan.
Over the years I have had the privilege of listening to different men of God telling in their various ways of the great faith of Abraham and urging us to emulate him. What did Abraham do, he held on to the promise of God for 25 years. Could God have given Abraham a child after 2 years, yes but He chose not to, after 10 years He could have done it but He chose not to. He could have told Abraham to be satisfied with Ishmael but He didn’t.
After 25 years when Sarah was long past menopause and Abraham struggled to remember just how agile he used to be in generations gone by the Father God decided it was time to fulfil destiny and bring promises to fruition.
Can you imagine waiting 25 years to have a child, 25 years before your prayers, whatever they may be, are answered. I know many people, yours truly included, who after praying and striving to have the faith of Abraham, add a side thought that as much as possible they wouldn’t want to wait 25 years.
Ironically, it is because of the 25 years gap that we talk about the faith of Abraham today.
I had hoped, prayed, believed, pleaded and trusted that the Chibok girls would be home before now. But I know that my God has a plan, and I know that the longer they stay in the ‘wilderness’ the greater the miracle of their return will be!
The Chibok girls may no longer be in the headlines, but I assure you that the One who exists outside of time continually has them in His sights. He understands time, He created it, but He is not limited by time, time doesn’t fluster Him as it does many of us.
I fully understand that for these poor girls the last 100 days must have been and still is like 100 years of total agony, each minute must seem like a day. However I wait with great anticipation and hope for that glorious day of their ‘shewing’ (Luke 1:80 KJV).
I realise that there are many schools of thought of what might have become of the girls by now, after 100 days in the forest. Just like the ‘doctors’ must have certified Sarah physically incapable of becoming pregnant let alone carry a child in her womb for 9 months. Thankfully God’s plans are not dependent on human capability or limitations. If He says a thing He’ll do it then consider it done, His proposals always come to pass.
Our God, the Father God, the creator of the heavens and the earth is a faithful God and I eagerly await the day when # Welcome Home Chibok Girls will rule the waves. Yes indeed!
Keep on believing, LolaA