Manna J.I.T.

God is a lot of things. He is not in a hurry.

Why should he be? He works from a position outside of our 9 to 5 (or is it 8 to 6?) world. He doesn’t need to be in a hurry; he has eternity in his hand. That same God promises to provide for his people. And he does. Always.

But it is always not only in the right way, it is also always at the right time.

God practices J.I.T. to perfection. He grants us many great things, but typically he gives them to us just in time. Like manna. He gave the Israelites just what they needed at just the right time—food every day, but that day. He did not give them food for the next day, except on the 6^th day. He gave them the food just in time for the new day. In the morning of the new day, there it was. The Israelites went to sleep not having it; in the morning God provided it.

The right things at the right time.

The coming of Jesus was that way. They waited and waited. When will he come? When will God provide the Christ? “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman.” (Galatians 4:4 NLT) And when did Christ Jesus die? “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6 ESV)

The right things at the right time.

We worry too much—which is why Jesus had to tell us not to. We worry too much about what is going to happen in the future, how we are going to get this done or that accomplished. We worry too much about how this or that will work out.

Here are the words Jesus said. “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-33 NIV)

The right things at the right time.

We hear the invitation to trust and wait on God through the Prophet Habakkuk. ”For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.” And this. “But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” (Habakkuk 3:3, 20 ESV)

There are the pressures of daily tasks and responsibilities. There are projects on the calendar and deadlines connected to them. (Notice what we call them? If you miss them you are what? Dead?) There are problems in the world, in our nation and in your home. “Jesus, I need your help. When are you going to provide? When are you going to help? When are you going to clear it up?”

The right things at the right time.

None of this is an invitation to sloth. We should always do what we can with what we are and have. We are to serve as good stewards of the gifts and responsibilities that God has granted us. Whatever our hand finds to do we are to do it with all our might. We are to make the most of our opportunities. And so on. But we are not and don’t need to worry or be anxious.

God will provide. Typically, he will provide in a masterful J.I.T. kind of way. His time. Not ours. But he will provide.

The right things at the right time.

With some deadlines, projects, tasks and even this post due, this was significant this week.