What’s your story of perfect timing?

January 14, 2025

Well, it’s the New Year and I thought about the subject of “timing.” I read some stories in John’s gospel that fascinated me. Jesus’ first miracle is one we are familiar with, but the story never gets old. Isn’t it interesting that His first miracle was at a social event—a wedding? His mother was there and so were Jesus and His disciples. They had been invited too. How fortunate for the bride and groom because the wine supply ran out during the festivities. Jesus’ mother told the servants: “Do whatever he tells you.” Jesus told the servants to fill up the six 30-gallon water jars with water. When they were filled, He told them to dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies. When he tasted the wine, he was amazed. “The best wine is usually served first and then the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” I love the conclusion: “This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory.” Talk about timing!

Then I read the story of Jesus as He traveled through Cana where He had turned the water into wine and there was a nearby government official whose son was sick. When he heard about Jesus being nearby, he went and begged Jesus to come to where he lived and heal his son who was about to die. He pleaded. Jesus told him: “Go back home. Your son will live!” “And the man believed what Jesus said” and started home. While he was still on his way, some of his servants met him and told him his son was alive and well. “He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied. ‘Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!’ Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, ‘Your son will live.’” Again, talk about timing!

We know it doesn’t always happen like that. Think of Job. He suffered and yet he didn’t give up his faith. He was rewarded in the end. I read this interesting point about Job—that little did he know his personal struggles with very adverse circumstances would be a source of comfort to those suffering for centuries to come. Once, when going through a hard time, I read through the book of Job four times—and about halfway through the fifth time I decided I was ready to move on to the book of Psalms!

I guess the point that I am making is that God’s timing is perfect and sometimes it looks that way to us—other times it doesn’t. But, let me share a verse that really summed it up for me. Just a few pages on in John’s recounting of Jesus’ miracles, the Jewish leaders accused Jesus of healing on the Sabbath. In fact, the account says, “they began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules.”

Jesus’ response jumped out at me as I read it:

“But Jesus replied, ‘My Father is always working and so am I.’”

We can be encouraged in whatever situation we find ourselves—and perhaps a situation where we have not yet gotten answers—

Our Father is always working—and so is His Son!

My next blog will be the story of my dad when as a young man he had a humorous and heartwarming answer to a need at just the right time.