Jesus is Never Late

But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. John 11:22 KJV

On the verge of celebrating 68 Easter seasons I look back with nostalgia mixed with some regrets. It is too late for some of the career choices I had hoped to make. It is too late for some of the ministry I hoped I would do. It is too late for another talk with my Dad, a kinder way I could have treated my family or even better stewardship of the money that has passed through my hands. But Martha’s encounter with Jesus at the edge of Bethany that morning gives me hope because:

It is never too late for Jesus to come. It is never too late to hear His word. Even when we were unaware He has been with us for every hour of our lives. This morning He is here to share this day with us.

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Right now; tombs can be opened, grave clothes removed and life renewed at the sound of His voice! No matter the moment, no matter the hour it is never too late for Jesus!

Today’s Service

In my quiet time this morning it was as if God held up a mirror to show me how little I valued those moments compared to Him. Yes I lingered for a brief prayer and spent time in His word; but all the while the wheels of my mind were sprinting ahead towards my future plans. Yet as the apostle Peter points out to us –

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8

We all too often lose the value and purpose of the moment of prayer and quiet because the hurry within our hearts drowns out the still small voice of God. We demean the intimate contentment with the Lord Jesus as if something later in the day or tomorrow or next year has more value in His eyes.

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But God delights in the moment. He rests in it as Jesus rested by the well. He has no sense of hurry or fearful anxiety of urgency.

He is never forced into action in a crisis. He rests in the moment like a butterfly who happily enjoys each flower without wishing He could hurry on to the next. He is not only the way and the truth – He is also like the clock of life itself and all time stands still in His presence. There is neither tomorrow nor yesterday with Him. He is the Great I Am! Whatever humble word, shy smile or simple sacrifice Jesus gives us for today is more precious to Him than any act of service we are planning for the future. The God who knows the beginning from the end also knows our hearts. If we will simply walk with Him by faith in this moment, His promise is that He will walk with us all down through the corridors of eternity!