JUST IN TIME OR JUST AT THE RIGHT TIME?

And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.”

Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”

So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

THEN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO HIM, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” so he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup that I may drink.” And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”

So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”

And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”

So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.

The Prophet of Israel had now been here at the Brook Cherith a year or more, here in his desert retreat. In this hidden away sanctuary where God miraculously sustained him. There he remained passive regarding his future plans, leaving any forward progression of events in the hands of Him who had charged the ravens to feed him morning and night. He knew that he was under God’s steady guidance. So long as the brook murmured by his side, and the black winged ravens supplied his table, he wasn’t at all worried about tomorrow, assured that the food he needed for strength would be delivered to him twice a day every day and the brook providing refreshing water for him.

But as days were going on, as time was moving forward, the brook was moving less, it began to sing less cheerfully; once the sounds of a full cascade of water rushing down over the rocks winding its way through the valley, which the sounds of night by night, was used to lull him asleep, that brook was becoming, day after day, gradually, little by little decreasing into a tiny thread of water. Then eventually it is only a trickle drop by drop from the barren rocks--until, once where pools of refreshing water were; now there is nothing left but sand and stones. So long as the brook flowed, it was a pledge and guarantee of God's watchful providence and continued care of Elijah. But now that brook no longer ran its course through the valley, it was silent and dry,

THE BROOK WHERE ELIJAH HAD FOUND CONSOLATION HAD NOW BECOME A PLACE OF DESOLATION-

THE BROOK THAT WAS HIS PEACEFUL, SECURE SANCTUARY NOW HAD BECOME A PLACE OF ANXIETY AND APPREHENSION-

THE BROOK THAT SANG A SONG OF GOD’S PROVISION AND GRACE ALL DAY, EVERYDAY NOW WAS SILENT-

THE BROOK THAT GOD LED HIM TO NOW WAS A BROOK THAT HE WOULD BE LED AWAY FROM-

THE BROOK THAT WAS THE BLESSING OF GOD NOW LOOKED MORE LIKE A CURSE FROM GOD-

AND SO WHAT WOULD ELIJAH DO AT THIS POINT OF TIME IN HIS JOURNEY? AND HERES THE REAL QUESTION, WHERE WAS GOD ANYWAY? WHY DIDN’T GOD COME TO HIM WITH SOME INSTRUCTION WAY BEFORE THIS TIME? WHY WOULD THE LORD WAIT UNTIL IT WAS AT ITS END, I MEAN CERTAINLY GOD

MUST HAVE KNOWN THAT

IT SEEMS TO BE THAT THE LORD HANDLED THINGS SO DIFFERENTLY THAN WE WOULD HAVE! WE WOULD HAVE SENT THE WORD TO

! WE WOULD HAVE SENT WORD TO ELIJAH AND SAID LISTEN THIS BROOK ISN’T GOING TO FLOW DOWN THROUGH HERE FOREVER, NOT DURING THIS DROUGHT, SO HERE IS WHERE I WANT YOU TO GO AFTER THE BROOK DRIES UP-

AS I LOOK AT DIFFERENT SITUATIONS IN THE SCRIPTURE I FIND THAT THIS IS GOD’S WAY OF DEALING WITH PEOPLE- - NEVER THINK THAT GOD OPERATES OUT OF ANXIETY, RUSHING ABOUT HOPING HE CAN GET EVERYTHING ACCOMPLISHED! HIS SCHEDULE IS NEVER SO CLUTTERED TO THE POINT WHERE HE IS JUST GOING TO MAKE IT, JUST IN TIME, ALMOST TOO LATE BUT HE JUST MADE IT!

When we question God’s timing, it is often because we are looking for guidance or deliverance from a difficult situation and we are getting a bit uneasy, unsettled, anxious and nervous about the situation. We begin thinking where is God? Why the delay? Why am I still going through this?

We can rest assured, however, that our heavenly Father knows exactly where we are in our lives at every moment of time. He either put us there or is allowing us to be there, all for His own perfect purpose to be worked out! In fact, God often uses the times of trials to strengthen our patience, allowing our Christian faith to mature and become complete.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Church, whenever, in your lives, you seem to be surrounded and encircled by all kinds of trials and temptations, you should learn to count it as something to be joyful about. Realize that these trials and temptations have to do with the proving of your faith. Don’t think for a moment that there is no purpose and plan for all that you are going through.

to test your faith, to develop and produce strength, determination and patient perseverance in your life.

As you give time for this strength, determination and patient perseverance to be worked out, you will find you are becoming perfectly established, without any defects and flaws, into the mature person God wants you to become.

When God first began to promise Abraham that his children would be like the sand of sea shores, the stars of the skies, Abraham was 75 years old. Then 25 years pass before they see that promise fulfilled at a time when it was impossible for them to have children at all! The Lord and the angels meet with Abraham

Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent. “And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying,

‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

And then after a few years God instructs Abraham to offer up this miracle child Isaac as a sacrifice and God shows up at the last moment, when the knife is raised in Abraham’s hand and Isaac is stretched out on the altar!

But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know

that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”

who for 40 years lived in exile on the back side of a desolate desert but one day, when he is now 80 years old, he is visited by God through a burning bush to let Moses know THAT THE TIME HAD COME FOR ISRAEL’S DELIVERANCE! That Moses would lead them out of Egypt and into their promise land; it was time, not just in time but just the right time! What an amazing turnaround was about to take place! From slavery to freedom. From poverty to prosperity. From the land of “Not Enough” to the land of “More Than Enough”!

Their faith and trust in God was challenged as they stood in front of that fiery furnace. God never showed up until they were thrown into the furnace! To those watching it looked as though it was over, that God did not deliver them, time was over now God never showed up! But God had a much deeper revelation of His power than anyone imagined! Even these Hebrew boys couldn’t have thought of this being what was going to happen!

who was highly regarded by King Darius, but the king was deceived into making a decree that no one in his kingdom should pray to any god or man other than the king would be thrown in a den of lions. The decree is signed, Daniel goes home opens his window and prays 3 times to his God as was always his custom to do. He is brought before the king, and the king was forced to have Daniel thrown into the den of lions! God does not stop Daniel from going into the lion’s den but God does his miracle in the lions den! God intervenes and shuts the mouths of the lions! Daniel spends the night with them sleeping!

who in just a few brief hours of time lost everything he had gained during his entire life and ends up camping out on an ash heap, alone in impoverished destitution, scrapping ugly boils off from his body! His wife had deserted him and his friends have forsaken him and left him alone to die. Job’s

attitude was

Job not only recovered double of what he previously had but more

than that, much more than that Job had gained a deeper more profound revelation of the God he served and loved so much.

who came to Jesus one day begging Him to come to his house where there his 12 year old daughter was dying. While on his way there He is interrupted by another sick woman who had this bleeding issue that would not stop. She had spent all of her money, went to numerous doctors for 12 years and she could not be helped. She touches Jesus’ and in a moments time is healed! Once Jesus finds out who had touched him He commends her faith and while He is speaking with her someone shows up from the ruler’s house and says forget it your daughter has died, it’s too late, no need to come to the house now! They continue on Jesus ends up taking this 12 year olds hand and speaking life saying little girl arise!

A raging storm comes up while they are on their journey across the lake. It was when the disciples were in their hour of absolute, utter fearfulness and gloom, during the storm on lake Gennesaret, giving themselves up to the hopelessness of despair, feeling the most intense fear of being overcome by the storm that, "IN THE FOURTH WATCH OF THE NIGHT," when darkness was deepest and danger greatest, the great Deliverer appeared on the violent waves--"Jesus went unto them walking on the sea."

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, “Where have you laid him?”

They said to Him, “Lord, come and see. “Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

It was when the grieving of Bethany was becoming unbearable, the fond treasure of their affections, a man named Lazurus was silenced by death; and as they were sitting in their home feeling deserted by the Lord, wondering at the mysterious delay on the part of the one and the only one who could alone have arrested and stopped death from taking their loved one, at that crisis-hour, the great Conqueror of death appears, He comes to revive the smoldering ashes of their faith, and restore, the joy and the foundation of their existence!

I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.

All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power, To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.