How many of you believe that God is always at the Right Place at the Right time? A couple of months ago, construction workers finished building a Dollar General on Cannons Campground Road, right at the traffic light near Mary Black Hospital. A couple of weeks after it opened, I was driving home from work and was stopped about 5 cars lengths back from the light (which put me right at the entrance to the store). I happened to glance over and I noticed an elderly woman that had fallen out of her door. I also noticed her husband, who was not in much better shape, trying to make his way around the car to help her. So, I decided to pull in an give them a hand. As I helped her back into the car, the old man said to me, “Young man, (I like that) you showed up at the Right Place at the Right Time.”
When I got home that evening, I shared that story with Kim and I thought about Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” That says to me that God is always at the Right Place at the Right Time.
HE IS AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR SALVATION
If you will remember with me, in John chapter 4, Jesus said to His disciples, “I must needs go through Samaria . . .” Now, the time of day that He went to that well was not the time of day that the women would come and draw water, so He was there specifically for one woman, a woman that wasn’t accepted by the other dignified women of the community. So Jesus shows up and is sitting on the well (a Well sitting on a well) at the hottest time of the day to ensure that one woman, that woman who had infidelity in her life, was able to receive water so she’d never thirst again. Aren’t you grateful that you can’t have so much sin in your life that He can’t forgive you? For that Samaritan woman, Jesus showed up at the Right Place at the Right Time. I’m grateful, that as a six year old boy in a Sunday School class of my home church, Jesus showed up in my life at the Right Place at the Right Time.
HE IS AT THE RIGHT PLACE AND THE RIGHT TIME FOR SICKNESS, SORROW AND SUFFERING
John chapter 11 records for us the death of Lazarus. It is believed that Jesus spent a lot of time in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, as he ministered in and around Jerusalem. Yet, in this chapter, this family whom He loved:
- They are going through the biggest valley they have ever crossed;
- They are facing the greatest trial they will ever face;
- They are facing the greatest tragedy they’ve ever faced;
- And they are carrying the heaviest burden they will ever carry.
And in this moment, in this time when they really needed Jesus – He wasn’t there. And to add insult to injury, in verse 15, Jesus says, “And I am glad for your sake that I was not there.” Not only was Jesus not there – but, He was glad He wasn’t there. Has there ever been a time in your life when you really needed the Lord to be there, but seemingly, He wasn’t there? Job said in Job 23, “Oh that I might know where He is that I might find Him.” The valley was so deep, and the night was so dark that Job said, “I can’t find God.” Has there ever been a time when you needed Him, yet you couldn’t find Him? They send for their friend Jesus, but He doesn’t show up. Lazarus dies – Mary and Martha are in deep sorrow, and for the next several days, Jesus was nowhere to be found.
Then on day 4, Jesus shows up. In verse 35 (the shortest verse in the Bible), the Bible says, “Jesus wept.” There is a lot of debate in the theological community as to what that means. Can I just give you may simple thought on this? I think Jesus wept to show us that it’s alright to cry when you’re hurting, it’s alright to weep when you’re in sorrow, it’s alright when you find yourself in moments of weakness.
I believe Mary and Martha were upset because they knew that Jesus could have prevented this. And when Mary comes out to meet Jesus, though she fell at the feet of Jesus, she said exactly what Martha said, “Lord, if thou hast been here.”
- “Lord, if you would have been here, you could have stopped this;”
- “Lord, if you would have been here, you could have prevented this;”
- “Lord, if Thou would have been here, my brother would not have died.”
But, He wasn’t there. Why did He wait? I think He waited because on the 4th day, after He raised Lazarus from the dead, verse 45 says, “Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.” Jesus showed up at the Right Place at the Right Time.
HE WILL SHOW UP AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE SECOND COMING
John chapter 14, Jesus tells His disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” So, when is Jesus coming back? At the Right Place at the Right Time! I believe there is nothing prophetically that is keeping Jesus from returning at any moment. I believe the only thing holding Him back are the prayers of His saints, praying for their loved ones to be saved, praying for their communities to be saved. But you can rest assured, Jesus will come again at the Right Place at the Right Time!
Fighting for My Pea Patch 