Jesus himself also refers to his betrayal as the inauguration of God’s kingdom timing: “Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners” ( Matthew 26:45). Luke records that Jesus and his disciples observe the Passover “when the hour had come” ( Luke 22:14). The culmination of God’s work of salvation is highlighted on the cross. This means that the ultimate expression of God’s kingdom-time is Christ’s passion. God’s timing can only be measured through the revelation of God’s work of salvation. Similarly, a legion of demons cries out “What do you want with us Son of Man? Have you come to a torture us before the appointed time?” ( Matthew 8:29). When Mary approaches Jesus about a problem at a wedding, for example, he retorts “What concern is that to me, my hour has not yet come” ( John 2:4). Kairos is whenever God’s power is manifested. Kairos, as opposed to Chronos (meaning chronological time), literally means “opportune time” or “the time of culmination.” The writers of the New Testament use this term to describe the satisfaction of God’s plan. The word that is frequently used to describe this is the Greek word Kairos. God’s timing, therefore, refers to the expression of God’s purposes in our lives. Rather than being concerned with the passage of minutes or years, God is concerned with revealing the kingdom. Scripture declares “with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day” ( 2 Peter 3:8). God sees the passage of time differently than we do. Below are some important things to know if we wish to rightly discern God’s timing in our lives. Yet this begs the question: If we discern the right action, but at the wrong time, have we discerned wrongly? What do we do when we find ourselves struggling with God’s timing?įiguring out God’s timing may seem daunting, however, there are actions we can take to help align us to God’s kingdom-time will. We need to rightly discern when God wishes us to act as much as we must discern what God wishes us to do. This sense of waiting on God's timing can make discernment a particular struggle for all Christians. Noah had to wait for the rain to fall Abraham waited for the birth of Isaac Israel waited for the coming of the Messiah we wait for Christ’s second coming today. And ultimately, we trust God that He is sovereign and in control of all things.Have you ever noticed that God's timing isn't what we imagined it would be and He often asks the faithful to wait? Amid the declaration of grand promises, the realization of God’s plan is held back until an appropriate time. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'” We are to make wise decisions about how we live our lives and how we take care of ourselves. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:13-15 teaches us, “Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. How does this affect our lives practically? We are to live each day for God. Yes, our own decisions have an undeniable impact on the manner, timing, and place of our death. A person who dies of a heart attack due to a lifetime of extremely unhealthy eating and little exercise would not have died in the same way or at the same time if he had eaten healthier foods and exercised more. A person who dies of lung cancer from smoking would not have died in the same way or at the same time if he had not smoked. Similarly, a person who dies because of a foolish decision (e.g., drug use) “expedites” his own death. A person who commits suicide would have lived longer had he not committed suicide. Obviously, a person who commits suicide causes his own death. The answer is "no" from our perspective because we do have an impact on when, where, and how we die. Nothing we can do will change what God already knows will happen. The answer is "yes" from God’s perspective because God is omniscient-He knows everything and knows exactly when, where, and how we will die. So does this mean our fate is sealed? Does this mean we have absolutely no control over when we will die? The answer is both yes and no, depending on the perspective. God knows absolutely everything about us (Psalm 139:1-6). So, yes, God knows exactly when, where, and how we will die. The Bible tells us that “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16).
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