Today as we study John 7:1-13, ask yourself if you trust God’s perfect timing. Jesus did – and what a glorious outcome!
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Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am so happy that you have joined us today as we open God’s Word together and ask Him to teach us what He wants us to know today.
It is August 2022 as I record this, and our 9th edition of Voice of Truth is making its way to mailboxes! If you are not yet familiar with Voice of Truth – I encourage you to visit our website – www.womenworldleaders.com, where you can check out our back issues digitally. Voice of Truth is truly a labor of love. It was birthed during the pandemic when God brought together writers, artists, and editors from around the world. For nearly two years now, these incredible women have worked together on a voluntary basis to produce a magazine that shines a light on and for God’s glory. We have had so much fun creating this publication, and we have rejoiced as God has made a way for it to be distributed worldwide! Voice of Truth has become in such great demand, however, that we need to change gears a bit regarding the distribution. In the future, although the digital version will still be free of charge to anyone who requests it, we will only be sending out a printed version as a thank you to each of our financial donors. So if you want to ensure that you will receive the NEXT edition of Voice of Truth, make sure you go to our website and register to give a recurring monthly donation of any amount. Women World Leaders is a 501c3 non-profit ministry, and our goal is to empower others to walk in their God-given purpose. We offer events, teachings, books, and leadership-growth opportunities, including a monthly Zoom meeting full of fellowship, empowerment, and fun. To find out how you can get involved, connect with us on our website – womenworldleaders.com, or send us an email at info@womenworldleaders.com
On this, our Wednesday edition of the Women World Leaders podcast, we are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So as we dive in, I invite you to open your Bibles, or, if you are driving or walking or even doing dishes, simply open your heart as we allow God to teach and guide us. Before we begin, let’s pray.
Dear Most Holy God! We thank you for always meeting us where we are and teaching us exactly what we need to know. I pray for each listener today, that you will speak directly to her – as only you can. God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Today’s reading comes from John 7:1-13 from the New Living Translation.
7 After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.
Scholars believe that at this time, Jesus had spent many months in Galilee. His opposition had grown feistier and more vocal. Jesus clearly knew WHY He had been sent to earth and HOW His life would end. He had told the disciples time and again that He would be killed and raised on the third day, and in today’s passage, we see it clearly delineated that Jesus was committed to following God’s perfect timeline – even knowing it would end in His fleshly demise. Jesus walked God’s timeline in faith.
As we listen today, I want you and I to consider whether we walk God’s timeline in faith. Do I really trust that God is using all I am going through today for His purpose? Do I believe that my seemingly insignificant work is contributing to God’s perfect plan in a way I can’t quite comprehend? Can I put my faith completely in a God whose timing is beyond my scope of understanding? Do I walk God’s timeline in faith?
My second daughter graduated from college yesterday. She is twenty years old, and as I took my morning walk before going to the ceremony yesterday, I reflected on the last twenty years. Emily began preschool when she was 2. We went to meet her teacher before the year began, and, let’s just say, I knew from the moment I walked in the door that her assigned teacher was NOT a good fit. When we left an hour later, I knew we wouldn’t be back, and I am NOT one to change plans easily. I had previously put my daughter’s name on several preschool wait lists, so I knew there were no openings anywhere. But God had a plan, and His timing was perfect. That afternoon, I received a call from a different school – a spot had opened up. We went right over and met Ms. Theresa – a beautiful woman who helped shape my two-year-old Emily into the twenty-year-old college graduate that God knew she would be. I cannot BEGIN to tell you the marvels of God’s perfect provision and timing that made a way for Emily to walk across that stage yesterday and receive her diploma. If you are a parent, I know you understand. But you don’t have to be a parent to see God at work.
When significant milestones happen in your life, I encourage you to look back on God’s provision and timing. And you don’t even have to wait for a milestone. Simply think about how God brought you to where you are today. As you do, you will be amazed at how God orchestrated things to make sure they turned out EXACTLY as they were supposed to. We serve a faithful God whose timeline we can trust. We simply need to walk God’s timeline in faith.
Jesus knew the Jewish leaders were plotting His death, but He trusted God’s timeline, and He walked in faith. Even when it wasn’t comfortable and He had little support around Him. Verse 2…
2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, 3 and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! 4 You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” 5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
The Jewish Festival of Shelters – also called the Festival of the Tabernacles or Booths – was a time of joyous celebration! It occurred in October and was a time for Jewish people to travel to Jerusalem together in large family groups. They went for a week to give food offerings to God and to celebrate how God released their ancestors into freedom from slavery in Egypt. In Deuteronomy 16, the Jewish people are commanded to “Be joyful” at the festival, “For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.”
It was a festival of remembering the goodness of God and celebrating that which was to come in God’s perfect timing and provision. It was a festival where they received encouragement and resolve to walk God’s timeline in faith for the coming year.
Jesus’ brothers, who after His death and resurrection, by the way, became some of His greatest advocates, at this time were kind of making fun of Jesus. They were following the world – saying, ‘Jesus – you think you’re all that. Come on with us to Jerusalem where people will see you and you can put your money where your mouth is!’
Verse 6…
6 Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. 7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. 8 You go on. I’m not going[a] to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” 9 After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee.
These verses make me sad for Jesus. These were His people from birth, His family, and yet they were belittling Him and laughing at Him. They didn’t understand who He was, nor did they want to. They were going to Jerusalem for a party, a Festival, to honor and praise God … but before they went they teased God Himself, their true Messiah.
But Jesus didn’t let this stop Him from following God’s timeline in faith. “Now is not the right time for me to go…” – what He was really saying was, it was not in God’s timeline at that moment for Him to show Himself publicly in Jerusalem.
Verse 10 continues…
10 But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view.
It is ALWAYS time to honor God! And it is always the right time to declare our faith in His perfect timeline. So Jesus went to celebrate and honor God – while He put Himself in the background.
God sees you, and He knows everything that you are going through.
God created time for us so that our minds can understand sequences and see His glorious unfolding provision set before us. But God’s ways are higher than our ways and His vision is perfect. We see and experience things in a linear fashion, with the passing of time, but God already knows the ending and can see all of time in His single vision.
I’ve heard it described that we are like a canoer going down a stream. We see the scenery as it passes by us. But God is like the airplane pilot flying above – able to look down and see the whole stream and all the river in one shot.
God saw Jesus waiting, alone; and He saw His upcoming suffering and death on a cross; but God also saw Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and His payment for sins; AND God saw what WE have not yet experienced – our eternal joy as we live with God unhindered by sin, and in complete harmony with all His children. For us – that salvation is at the end of the stream, but in God’s sight, our salvation is NOW, because Jesus’ work is finished.
Jesus’ life was hard! And sometimes lonely. But there was a purpose – God had the perfect plan. Jesus just had to walk God’s timeline in faith.
Neither my daughter Emily nor I understood HOW God would perfectly piece together her many teachers and experiences over the years, but God had the perfect plan for her to end up walking across that stage and receiving her diploma yesterday. She just had to walk God’s timeline in faith.
You may not be able to see the other side of the mountain you are up against. But God does! And He is faithfully leading you down each path full of accomplishments for His glory. Trust God, and walk His timeline for you in faith AND in joy!
By faith, keep your eyes on the glorious outcome God has for you, even though it may likely get harder before it gets easier…Verse 11 continues…
11 The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. 12 There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” 13 But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.
That’s not a very happy ending to our reading today. But thankfully, that isn’t the end of the story. And whatever chapter you are in isn’t the end either. God’s ways ARE higher than our ways, His sight is crisper than our sight, and His love, provision, and guidance are perfect. You WILL walk across that stage. You WILL cross the finish line. You CAN trust in faith God’s perfect timing. Jesus did! And He did it for you!
Let’s pray.
Dear Most Holy God – thank you for your perfect timing and provision. We are awed that all we have to do is obediently trust you and take the next step. Father, we are so blessed that you love us so much. Yours is a love that we cannot begin to comprehend. And we are so grateful that you consider it your joy to lavish your love on us each and every day. Father – we hold out our arms, and we accept your shower of grace and love. And we walk your perfect timeline in perseverance and joy, knowing in our hearts that the ending is more glorious than we could possibly imagine. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.