The Right Place at the Right Time!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where everything just seemed to go right for you?  Sure you have.  We all have.  At times like that it is easy to look back and see how you were in the right place at the right time for everything to come together like it did!  The opposite can also happen… you know… when nothing seems to go in your favor.  At these times it is easy to think about how you just might have been in the wrong place and the wrong time!

As I was studying in the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles chapter twenty and the story of Jehoshaphat and the children of Israel’s victory over three opposing enemy armies, I discovered that this also seems to be true when it comes to following God’s plans for the various activities and situations in our lives.  In verses sixteen and seventeen the Lord spoke through the prophet Jahaziel and gave the Israelites some very specific directions for them to follow.  He told them, “Tomorrow, they (the three enemy armies) will travel through the ascent of Ziz.  Meet them at the end of valley before the wilderness of Jeruel.  There I will be watching.  Stand and watch, but do not fight the battle.  There, you will watch the Eternal save you.”  (The Voice Bible)

Evidently there is a right time and place for us to be during our stands of faith for the situations and needs of our lives where God is best positioned to fight and win the battle for us!  In this story it is pretty obvious that if the Israelites had not followed God’s specific directions that they would have been wiped out.  Sometimes the situations we go to the Lord for help in aren’t as black and white, aren’t as dramatic and may have multiple scenarios for us to choose from… besides what we sense that the Lord is telling us.  But on the other hand… like in the case of my wife’s health, there is only one possible solution… and that is God’s way! 

I can look back today and see how many of the steps of faith that we have taken along this journey over the last ten years have been the right thing to do at the right time.  Most of these steps that we took though, weren’t as quickly brought to a successful conclusion as with our story in 2 Chronicles 20.  When we followed what we strongly felt was the Lord’s directions for us and I quit my outside job so as to be able to care for Piper 24/7 back in 2010, it took almost two years before we saw all the tangible benefits of that plan. 

At the time I was mainly thinking about Piper’s needs and care and was ready to do whatever I had to do to make it work.  During those two years I had time to research available benefit programs that we could apply for, learned about the mandatory waiting periods before we could apply, the strict financial limits (that we met once I quit my outside job), the various medical evaluations we needed to get and the reams of paperwork I had to fill out.  Once the Federal benefit qualifications were met, I then discovered State and County benefits that were available because of the Federal benefits Piper began to receive. 

If I hadn’t obeyed the word of the Lord to us and stepped out in faith at the right time we would not have been in the right place to receive all those benefits.  When all the paperwork was complete, approved and the finances began to come in, we ended up having a greater monthly income than I was making at my secular job… that kept me out of the home for up to twelve hours a day… and I was being paid to take care of my wife!  Isn’t God good?

Another thing that I thought was interesting while studying this account in the Bible, is the multiple occasions that the Lord had to remind the Israelites that they were not to fight in this battle.  God’s plan was quite unusual and I am sure that it must have been difficult for Israel’s trained solders to stand still and watch when the huge enemy force was coming against them and their families.  But God knew what needed to happen in order for His plan to succeed.

The same could be said for you and me and the plans He has for us throughout our lives.  We took A LOT of flak, accusation and criticism for obeying God because to some, quitting my job just didn’t make good financial sense.  But through it all we continued on and eventually reaped the rewards of our obedience and forbearance.

I believe, just as with the children of Israel’s obedience to God’s unusual plan, that our stepping out in faith at the right time allowed Papa God the right place to fight the unseen battles we needed fought in order to receive His best for us.  And since the Word tells us “that God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34 KJV), if He did it for the Israelites in the Old Testament, and He did it for us in these New Testament times… that He’ll do the same for you!

Have a wonderful weekend!  We are supposed to have some beautiful weather and since a good majority of the leaves are down, I’m hoping to get some lawns mowed and swept for their final trim before the winter season!  Be blessed and look for opportunities to be a blessing to those around you, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “Am I expecting to be in the right place at the right time in order to be a part of God’s plan for me today?”