God’s Persistent Plan
When we look at the Christmas story, it’s easy to focus on the sudden, beautiful moments: the angel appearing, the star shining, the baby arriving. But what I find truly encouraging is not the suddenness, but the timing. It wasn't rushed. It was perfect.
Have you ever had a project or goal that you felt you missed the window on? You hesitated, things changed, and suddenly you feel like it’s too late? I know that feeling of discouragement when it seems the opportunity has passed you by. But let me tell you, when it comes to God’s plan for our lives, and certainly for the whole world, there is no such thing as being too late. There is only perfect timing.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4 (KJV): "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law."
Think about that phrase: "the fulness of the time." This wasn’t a random birthday on a random calendar year. This was the moment in history when every prophecy, every political circumstance, every cultural need, and every spiritual longing finally converged into a single, perfectly orchestrated moment.
It meant that the Roman roads were paved for the disciples to travel later. It meant that a common language (Greek) was widely spoken so the Gospel could be easily shared. It meant that the Jewish people had already laid the theological groundwork necessary to understand the Messiah. God wasn't in a hurry; He was preparing the ground for centuries.
What encouragement does this give us today? It tells us that God is an active, persistent planner, even in the midst of seeming silence. For four hundred years between the last prophet (Malachi) and the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, God was silent. No new Scripture. No new miracles reported. Just silence. Yet He was working out every tiny detail so that when His Son was sent forth, it would be with maximum impact and flawless execution.
If God is that persistent and precise in His grand, sweeping plan for the world, imagine the care and precision He applies to the quiet, tiny details of your life.
Maybe you are in a season of waiting right now. Maybe you feel like you are in the "silent period," wondering if God has forgotten your situation or your dream. Remember this verse. Your waiting is not wasted. Your current season, whether it feels barren or busy, is part of "the fulness of the time" that God is preparing for the next step in your story.
We can worship Him today simply because He is faithful to His own schedule. We don't have to force things to happen; we just have to trust that when the time is full, God will act, and His action will be perfect. He sent His Son exactly when He meant to, and He will fulfill His promises to you exactly when He means to.