How can we discern God's timing in our personal decisions today? Setting the Scene in Isaiah 7:16 • “For before the boy knows to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.” • God gives King Ahaz a precise timetable: the fall of Rezin and Pekah will occur before a child reaches moral awareness. • Two truths pop out: God ties His timing to moral reality (“reject evil and choose good”) and He marks His calendar with astonishing accuracy. What Isaiah 7:16 Teaches About God’s Timing • Timing is anchored in God’s Word, never in human guesswork. • Moral readiness matters—God waits until certain heart conditions are met. • God works concurrently on multiple fronts (in Judah, Syria, and Israel) so His plan converges right on schedule. Key Principles for Discerning God’s Timing Today • Ground everything in Scripture – Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Proverbs 3:5-6: trust, lean not on your own understanding, and He will direct your paths. • Look for moral alignment – Is the decision free from compromise? God’s timetable slides into place when our hearts reject evil and choose good (Isaiah 7:16). • Watch for converging confirmations – Circumstances, wise counsel, and inner conviction usually line up, not contradict. • Respect the “fullness of time” principle – Galatians 4:4: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son…” – God is never early or late; He hits the exact, foretold moment. • Practice patient obedience – Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD.” – Romans 8:25: waiting with perseverance is part of Spirit-led living. Practical Steps for Today’s Believer 1. Saturate the decision in Scripture. Keep searching until a passage grips the heart the way Isaiah 7:16 gripped Ahaz. 2. Examine motives. Ask, “Am I choosing good and rejecting evil?” God rarely clarifies timing for a double-minded heart (James 1:6-8). 3. Invite trusted, godly voices. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22) 4. Track providential markers. Closed doors, open doors, and unexpected resources can function like God’s clock hands. 5. Keep an attitude of surrender. Luke 22:42—Jesus’ “Not My will, but Yours be done”—is the posture that hears divine timing cues. Red Flags and Reminders • Impatience can mimic faith; haste bypasses discernment (Isaiah 28:16: “Whoever believes will not act hastily”). • Fear of missing out often pressures premature moves—remember Isaiah 7:4, “be calm, do not fear.” • God’s delays are not God’s denials (2 Peter 3:9). Encouragement from Christ’s Example • Thirty hidden years before public ministry highlight that divine preparation is never wasted. • John 7:6: “My time is not yet here… the right time for you is always ready.” Jesus models sensitivity to the Father’s calendar. In Summary When Scripture frames the decision, moral readiness is clear, confirmations converge, and patience prevails, we can step forward confident that the moment we act is the moment God ordained—just as surely as He fixed the fall of Rezin and Pekah “before the boy knows to reject evil and choose good.” |
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