~ Beautiful In His Time ~

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:"

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Over the weekend we experienced one of four changes we go through every year....the changing of seasons. Oh, the beautiful season of autumn has arrived and it is one of my favorite seasons of the year. The leaves changing, cool crisp mornings and evenings, and pumpkins everywhere. (Yes, I love pumpkin coffee, candles, breads, etc. I love it all!)  One thing we can count on is that the seasons will change. We can look up the dates of the seasonal changes for years to come. It is already set. We may want summer to come on back, but its not going to happen until the time appointed. It is what it is and we have to accept that. We get to embrace all four special seasons that God gives us to enjoy.

The same is true with our lives.  God's timing is perfect! No matter how we think our lives should be, God knows what is best for us.  The difficulties we have, the hardships we endure, the waiting that we are not so patient with anymore, well, yes, it's not easy, but God has it all under control. We can become angry and bitter at our circumstances or we can sink head first into God's divine Word for comfort and direction through it all.  We need to accept that God's timing is perfect and grow in our walk with him.

There was a point in my life, just a year and a half ago, that I didn't quite understand God's timing in my life. The things I was going through, the struggles and difficulties, well, to be honest, I was just done with it. I was over it and becoming a little impatient with God through it but he quickly showed me through his Word that his timing was perfect. He was refining me for the road ahead. He was drawing me closer to him. He was directing my life and when I finally surrendered to HIS perfect timing, the journey became more purposeful to me. 

What are you going through right now? What challenges and struggles are you facing and ready to be done with? Well, my friend, let me assure you that God IS in control and his timing is perfect. Through this passage in Ecclesiastes, Solomon shares with us his observations of God's perfect timing for everything. There is an appointed season for everything in our lives but the treasure in verse 11 is so incredible.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Though we go through different seasons, we have the promise that our God will make everything beautiful in its time. Through all the challenges we face, we can cling to God for his guidance and have peace that He is at work. Earthly struggles will continue but God will make everything beautiful in his time! Today, may we all rest in the comfort that this refining process is all part of his plan to grow us closer to him and make us beautiful! Whatever you face today, know that you are an amazing creation that God is refining into something so beautiful for all eternity! Hallelujah!