Timing Is Everything

You ever wake up to one of those days where you feel the need for an extra boost to kick start your energy as well as your mind?  Well today was one of those times for me.  It wasn’t even as if we had a rough night either.  We actually had a decent night’s rest but I just sort of woke up feeling a bit in limbo!  After I almost stepped on the dog who was contentedly sleeping partially under the bed next to me, I stumbled into the restroom, got dressed and shuffled off into the kitchen hoping that a hot cup of Java would do the trick!

When I finally sat down in front of my computer and the three open Bibles that were piled up on the table to my right, I found myself staring at the screen as if it were a blank page before me!  Eventually my eyes began to focus on the words of Isaiah 12:5 that came up on my Bible study program.  My first thought was that “I’ve already been there, isn’t there something new I could look at today?”  But it was like I was glued to the page!  Have you ever experienced something like that?

As I read and re-read the verse, I suddenly began to have another layer of that scripture peeled back in my understanding.  The idea to “Make music to praise the Lord (for) he has done wonderful things (and to) let this be known throughout the earth” (God’s Word ©) struck a new chord within me.  This time around I began to understand this teaching from the point of view of the “time signature” of a piece of music.

Written music contains its own unique language called “music notation.”  These notations tell the musician such important things as whether it is in the treble or bass “clef,’ the “key” of the song and also describes the timing or “time signature” of the piece. 

As I studied Isaiah 12:5 this morning I realized the importance of knowing the timing of the various parts or seasons of the song of your life.  This lesson can be likened to different movements contained in a classical symphony.  In an extended composition the work can express a variety of tempos from the quick step of a rousing march to the quiet solitude of a sonata, with many variations in between!

I have come to see this same basic principle in the life span of a Christian!  The key as set forth in our scripture is to be able to realize when to shift into the various tempos or timing that the Holy Spirit leads us into.  A stunning example in my own life is when I finally listened to the repeated nudging’s of the Lord and reluctantly drew back from some of activities and people that were prevalent in my life back in 2012.

To say the least this was a very strange and difficult experience in my life as I was used to working two or three jobs at the same time, being highly involved in the life of my family and up to my ears in church ministry!  Suddenly my life was solely focused on my wife’s care and healing and in listening to the Lord… everything else was on the back burner.  Talk about slowing down… Yipes!

But you know, it has turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life.  The lessons learned have been exemplary and worth the necessity of the shock!  Now that we have been in North Carolina for a while, I sense that the beat or timing or cadence is about to change!  I believe that the Lord is signaling me to speed up my timing in certain areas of our life.  Does this make sense to you?

I firmly have come to believe that the Lord gives us the grace, the strength and the wisdom to move rapidly and more intensely at times in the different seasons in our lives, and at other times to slow down, seek Him a bit more deeply and move with more  caution in our steps.  This gives me great comfort in knowing that He has firm control of our lives and directs us as a conductor directs an orchestra.  Think about it this way… Each member of the orchestra normally has the music before them as they play, but they always need to keep one eye on the conductor as he or she is the one interpreting the piece of music being performed.  A good musician always knows their music but also knows to follow the leading of the conductor.

Each of us have a unique song that we are to play in this life, but in order to play it right, we need to follow the leading of our conductor, Papa God!  So I would encourage you to learn the various movements of the symphony of your life and then be open to follow the different intonations that our conductor leads us through in the various seasons of our lives.  Have a great day.  Stay in tune and harmony to His Word and with the inflections of the Holy Spirit and keep asking yourself… “What BEAT am I expecting to keep today?”