God’s Timing Is Perfect

 

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise… He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”

 2 Peter 3:9

There are moments when God’s timing feels painfully slow. We pray, wait, hope, and sometimes wonder why He delays. Yet Scripture reveals that God’s delays are never signs of indifference—they are expressions of love. Peter reminds us that what looks like slowness is actually divine patience, giving more people space to turn back to Him. “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8), which means He sees the whole story at once—past, present, and future—and acts at the perfect moment. As Corrie ten Boom wrote, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

This patient timing is woven throughout the Bible. When Lazarus fell sick, Jesus waited two days before going to Bethany—not because He didn’t care, but because He intended a greater glory (John 11:4–6). When Habakkuk cried, “How long, O Lord?” God answered, “The vision awaits an appointed time… it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3). Even the coming of Jesus happened “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4). God never hurries, but He is never late. As A.W. Tozer said, “God is never early and He’s never late; He is always right on time.”

While we wait, God invites us into trust, righteousness, and hope. Peter says that because we are “looking forward” to His promises, we should make every effort to live holy and peaceful lives (2 Peter 3:11–14). Waiting is not passive—it shapes our character and deepens our dependence on Him. Every delay becomes an opportunity to grow in grace, to soften our hearts toward others, and to remember that God’s agenda is salvation. As Eugene Peterson paraphrases, “He’s giving everyone space and time to change.” Trust that His timing in your life—your unanswered prayers, your longings, your seasons of silence—is soaked in love. He is working, even when you cannot yet see it.

Closing Prayer

Lord, we rest in Your perfect timing. Draw our hearts into quiet trust, remind us that every delay is held in Your love, and teach us to wait with worship, hope, and surrender. Lead us gently until all Your purposes for us unfold. Amen.