I often get the question when someone has a lifechanging experience with God, “How do I know God’s timing?”
There’s no formula for this. Sometimes God speaks and we know we need to do it now. Other times there is nothing we can do about it now, so we wait with expectation. Sometimes we get a word that just doesn’t make sense to us in the moment.
It’s OK. Learn how to steward it.The Bible says six times (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19; Hebrews 10:28) that things must be confirmed by two or three witnesses. You don’t need to be running off the first time you hear something.
It’s OK to wait and ponder. In the upcoming points I’ll show you how you can. Before we get there however, there are two things you need to know once God has confirmed His call with two or three witnesses:
1. Don’t get caught up getting confirmationJames tells us that when we ask for wisdom God will give it, without finding fault. But if we don’t believe we’re getting the wisdom we ask for, we’ll be doublewe’re getting the wisdom we ask for, we’ll be double 6). Know God is speaking to you. You’re his sheep, you know His voice.
You can’t get a home run if you don’t swing. Too many people are afraid to swing the bat. They’re waiting for that perfect pitch. Listen - it’s OK to strike out. It’s not OK to strike out without swinging. (Well, it is...you’re still under grace. I just don’t want to push the analogy too far.) The point is - hear and obey - don’t try to rehear and re-hear and re-hear. Don’t merely listen to the word, do what it says. (James 1:22)
2. He might not give clear direction again until you obey the first command.God told me starting a web design business was going to be a waste of time. I thought that was just for while we were in New Zealand. When I returned to Canada, I had all kinds of ideas for businesses and started a publishing house, a web design, graphic design, editing, SEO and printing business.
I was waiting for Him to tell me “No” again. I was simply doing what made sense for me to do.
Five years later I was looking for direction and God took me back to the day I knew in my spirit He said, “It’s a waste of time” and I knew the last five years in business were. He then reminded me of his audible voice saying, “I’ve given you time to write.” Then I felt Him ask me, “Did I ever tell you to stop writing?”
I didn’t start anything without seeking God first. When He gave no direct sense, I assumed He was letting me use my common sense and skills. What I learned later was that He had spoken and He was waiting for me to obey.
Looking back, I see it’s not that simple. He was telling me through my wife and through other people asking me to write for them and through a stranger who heard me on the radio talk about my books tell me, “That’s what you need to be doing,” that God was giving me direction, but I wasn’t picking up on it. Instead I was letting the giant of “You’ll-never-make-a-living-fromwriting” drown out the call of God to write.
Even if you see the destination and can’t get there from where you’re at, I’ll show you how you can start moving towards that direction with your thoughts, speech and actions.