God's Timing and God's Plan

   I was recently told of a person who was given a short time to live. The doctors have no more answers for them.  Another person very dear to my heart, lost a love and would like to find someone to share their life with. What do these two very different things have in common? Well they both have to depend on God's timing and God's plan.
     The doctors can't tell you how long you have to live because only God knows that. The Word tells us that it is 'appointed once for man to die'. The date of our meeting with death has already been appointed or set out. I believe that since we serve a God who knows every hair on our head and has counted them individualy, we also serve a God who will not let us experience death until it is in His timing. That's not to say that we should tempt God by being reckless or foolish but we can rest asured that He will care for us and protect us no matter what comes our way.
     God has a plan for us and for our life. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us "for I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." That verse gives me hope and it can give all of us hope. Yes, we would love to have our dreams fulfilled in our time, but sometimes, to strengthen our faith, God asks us to wait and trust in Him. He has promised to prosper us, that can mean with having a mate and family, finances, a home, a ministry, a job or whatever God feels we need. It delights Him to give good gifts to His children.
     If we know that it is not God's will to harm us and that it is His will to give us hope and a future, then we can relax and allow God to move in His timing. Yes, we all want things right now, but we have to trust that God knows the beginning from the end. He has known us since He knitted us together in the most secret place and He will know us at the end of our life and into eternity. He wants only good for us. He has promised that He will give us the desires of our hearts.
     One person is facing the end of their life and another is facing the future. Both will have to rely on God to do what He thinks is best in their lives. Both will have to trust in God's timing and God's plan.