God's Time

Read Psalm 37

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
-Psalm 37:5 (NRSV)

ONE day, I learned an important lesson about making a cake. After mixing all the ingredients, I poured the batter into the baking pan and put it in the oven. After 40 minutes, the cake smelled so good that I could not help peeking through the oven's glass window. I saw that the cake had risen and looked ready. So I turned off the oven and took out the cake. I called my mother, showed her the cake, and asked her to taste it. However, when she cut into the cake she found out that the middle wasn't completely cooked. She told me that I should let the cake bake for another five minutes.

This experience reminded me of how impatient we are in waiting for God's answers to our prayers. My impatience in taking out the cake is like our impatient attitude toward God. We often want a "quick fix" from God when a hasty response might make matters worse. Often I have to be reminded that our God is an "on-time God" -- neither too late nor too early to help. We can trust that God wants the best for us and that we will see God's glory at last.

by Marcelina Dewi Kumalasari (Jakarta, Indonesia)