What Time Is It?

Today’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Job 20-21
NT: John 5
W&W: Psalm 68.15-27


Today’s Reflection:

What time is it? Is it time to act or time to wait?

Have you been following the story of Captain Richard Phillips, captain of Maersk Shipping Lines’ vessel Alabama? He was taken captive by Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa and held hostage for five days. My daughter Emily said yesterday that it still seems surreal to her that we would be talking about pirates in 2009. I’m sure the thought of pirates isn’t surreal to Captain Phillips!

As I understand the story, Phillips actually offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the safety of his crew. When the pirates agreed to his offer, he then boarded the lifeboat with them and ordered the crew (who were reportedly very reluctant to do so) to leave him. When it was time to act, he acted valiantly, didn’t he? That made yesterday’s rescue of Captain Phillips all the more exciting and meaningful!

Snipers aboard the Bainbridge, a USN vessel, knew when it was time to act. After waiting for several days, absorbing criticism from those not on the scene, they acted when it was time to act. Seeing Phillips in imminent danger, they fired upon the pirates and rescued him. This incident reveals how important it is to know when to act and when to wait.

In chapter 8 of his book, When God Takes Too Long, Joseph Bentz counsels us: “Wait when it’s time to wait and act when it’s time to act.”

Citing the story of Israel in the area of the Red Sea, Bentz reminds us that “there will be nay-sayers who accuse you of being confounded in the land.” As Pharaoh and his ilk denigrated the Israelites in this way, so people may accuse you of being lazy, or of having a lack of faith, lack of talent, or lack of drive. Even well-intentioned friends may urge you to take matters into your own hands. I have personally experienced this in recent months.

But remember the words of Moses: “The Lord shall do battle for you… You shall keep still.” Keeping still sounds like the easiest command, but in reality it is the hardest. We would much prefer to be doing something… We wonder, “What if he doesn’t pull through for me? Will I kick myself for not forcing my own outcome?” As I have waited for God to move in my situation, I have had to answer that question many times.

But, as Bentz assures the reader of When God Takes Too Long, I am confident that God comes through in ways that my own efforts would never come close to matching! So I try to wait when it’s time to wait, and then I will be able to act with certainty when it is time to act!


This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
How have you done on the verses from Isaiah 53? If you have applied yourself to memorizing these individual verses and sections of verses, you are now ready to work on putting all of Isaiah 53 together – a whole chapter! I challenge you to try it this week!
1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.